


Our Promblems

by AlabamaLips



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt, F/F, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Romance, Strength, Survival, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2019-11-09 04:26:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17994812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlabamaLips/pseuds/AlabamaLips
Summary: Ayce will do what it take to keep her sisters safe. She would protect everyone at the cost of herself. Can she save them all? Or will she lose this battle of survival? Can she admit when she herself needs saving? The old story of people finding strength and goodness in a dark and desperate time. The dead walk, and the living cant be trusted.*First few chapters are a little cringy*





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Most of these chapters are very old, written back in 2014. The first few remain unedited and rather angsty. I do apologize for that. Forgive me.

Harsh light filtered through the canopy above, lessening the intensity, but not by much. It cast a golden glow upon the figure that lay at the base of the steep hill. Might as well call it a kind of cliff. The animals in the surrounding area had long since gotten used to the huntress being there and paid her no mind. However, other predators were coming close, and they themselves didn't care for her blood, but larger, more dangerous beings would.

The woman stirred, the light penetrating her lids. They fluttered open slowly, squinting at first, then opening fully, revealing bright, impossibly blue eyes. She was naturally platinum blonde, but could have passed for an almost redhead with the amount of blood in her hair. She sat up slowly, wincing at the pain in her side. The woman poked gently, finding a rather large shard of wood sticking out from her flesh. Further inspection found a bump and a nasty gash on her head, just above her temple. 

She groaned low in her throat, she sat up and searched the ground for her belongings. During her fall, she had lost her grip on the compound bow and hit her head badly. Her body decided to acquire some pieces of the forest while tumbling down the steep incline. Once she sighted the black bow, she gently slid her leather quiver off her back. Most of the arrows were broken from the fall, but one or two remained intact. She tossed the broken pieces on the ground and put the other two arrows back, glancing around all the while.

The blonde took a second to regain her senses and thought back to how she had gotten there. Somehow, while aiming at a deer earlier, she managed to loose her footing and slide down. Now, she had to get back up with her injuries and find her sisters. Judging by the sun, she had been out long, and even though she left the wood in, she was losing blood. And to top it all off, there were zombies nearby.

She silently cursed to herself. She knew better than that. How could she have gotten herself in this mess?

The blonde grit her teeth and began the tedious task of climbing up the hill. She had people to get back to. To protect.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Annalyn, I swear, if you don't stop pacing, I WILL toss you to the zombies… I don't

care what Ayce says."

The other blonde, Annalyn, stopped and turned, a look of hate crossing her features for a brief second. She walked away from the edge of the camp and sat on the opposite side of the fire pit, keeping Lilith in her sights.

"You could at least act like you're worried. She's your sister too, not just mine."

The brunet shook her head, finding it almost comical. "No, she's not. She's the daughter of the woman my father married. You both are. I stay with her because she's useful, and you both know that. But I don't need you. I haven't gotten rid of you yet BECAUSE of her, which is another thing you both know. I still don't see why you haven't dumped me off somewhere. Oh wait, yes, I do. You two are too nice and you promised your mother you'd keep me safe.” The last sentence was sneered at the blonde, a look of utter disgust setting in place.

Annalyn shook her head and mumbled under her breath, things about whores and slut, and ungrateful teens.

Annalyn herself was 19 when the apocalypse happened, and was sure her birthday was in a few months, but 19 all the same. Lilith was the baby of the group, but before this, her title was town slut, and she had only turned 17 a few weeks before. Ayce was the oldest and by far the strongest of the trio. She was 24, and an exceptional huntress, which had made it easy to survive so far. This, however, was the first time she had been late coming back.

As these thoughts crossed Annalyn's thoughts, footsteps were heard in the thick forest. Lilith jerked to awareness, and Annalyn scrambled for the gun. They were told never to use it unless they had to because the noise attracted the undead. She passed it to Lilith and grabbed her knives, which were on the ground by the fire. The blonde turned to face the threat, only to find the missing sister.

She dropped the blades and ran forwards, not fast enough to catch her before she hit the ground. "Oh, God, Ayce what happened?!" She reached her side, only to find large amounts of blood all in her hair and all over her clothes. "Ohnoohno….What do we do?"

Lilith entered her line of vision and spoke whilst inspecting her nails. "I have an idea. Why don't we go find the caravan?" Annalyn glared at the idiotic brunet. "Moron. Ayce said to avoid them at all costs. We don't know them, and it could be dangerous."

Lilith sighed and walked back to her perch. "Fine, let her die. But we both know we don't have the supplies or knowledge to help her. This isn't her average scratch from  
hunting. It's worse."

Annalyn looked away from the younger girl, knowing deep down that she was right. Ayce was the one with the survival knowledge, not them. "Why do you care?" As Annalyn waited for the answer, she tucked a stray curl of Ayce's behind her ear and busied herself with putting pressure on the wound. The snarky reply should have been what she expected, but it still surprised her that she was so cold.

"She's essential to my survival."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Annalyn trudged through the woods, careful not to trip over fallen logs or roots. Over her shoulder was Ayce's arm, while Lilith had the other. Surprisingly, the brunet had agreed to help drag their sister though the trees in the direction of the other people. They thanked their lucky stars that they didn't run across any zombies.

Annalyn was the first to speak in a while. "Hold up, let me check the bandage." They both placed the blonde on the ground so Annalyn could remove the makeshift bandage. "She's still losing blood. I hope we're close…."

They were quiet for a moment, allowing the sounds of the forest to reach them. But what they didn't expect were the voices. It sounded like people, two of them. Annalyn motioned for Lilith to grab Ayce, and together, they followed the sounds. They were greeted with quite a sight.

A man and a woman, both dark haired, and slightly tanned. The man was taller than the woman, and if Annalyn had to guess, they were extremely close.

Annalyn cleared her throat, causing the couple to jump apart and stare. "Sorry to break up the face sucking, but we need help. Do you have a doctor of sorts with you?"

The couple jumped apart and took on the stance of edginess. If Annalyn had to guess, it was because they were prepared to attack if need be. They stayed like that for a while before anyone made a move. The two sisters moved not a muscle for fear of setting off the other two. The dark-haired couple shared a look, and the man moved forward. "Um...Yea, we do. If you two don't mind, I'll take her. My friend here can lead you to the campsite." Annalyn nodded, letting the man take Ayce. He picked her up bridal and carried her. Annalyn called after him, “Mind her wounds!”

They faced the woman, who looked nice enough, but seemed kind of put out, most likely because they were planning on doing the deed and they were interrupted. She walked forward and extended her hand. "Hi, I'm Lori. That was Shane who took your friend. The site's this way, if you want to follow."

Annalyn shook her hand and nodded. "I'm Annalyn, this is my sister Lilith, and that was my other sister, Ayce." Lilith rolled her eyes at the mention of them being related. "We aren't sisters." And with that, she followed the path that Shane took.

Annalyn frowned after her before walking with Lori along the same path. "Sorry about her…" Lori shook her head and smiled. "It's alright. Everyone's got their own shit to deal with, right?"

Annalyn nodded and smiled back, the fear for her sister still ever present.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The blonde now sat with Lori and the rest of the group, still trying to learn their names. Not that it mattered at the moment. They were busy making decisions. Annalyn wanted to go and get their things from the woods, the reason being that Ayce was still out. They had managed to patch her up, but the head injury was worse than Annalyn thought. So now the group was voting on if they thought it was a good idea.

Lilith and she waited by the RV, Lilith watching the group, and Annalyn watching Ayce. Her breathing was getting better, and she wasn't as pale, but she had yet to wake up. Annalyn hoped to the deities that she pulled through. Ayce was a fighter, and was their protector. She had to make it.

Lilith nudged her, both meeting the gaze of Shane. He stopped in front of them, his face blank and indifferent. "Well, they don't trust you, but they can't let you go out there on your own, especially with your sister the way she is. So, we'll let you stay here. As soon as our group comes back from the city, and our hunter gets back, we'll send a small team with you to get your things."

Annalyn nodded, voicing her thank you, while Lilith was friendlier with hers. She threw her arms around Shane's neck and hugged him, being ever so available. Annalyn almost laughed at the look on his face, but it was over powered by the feeling of disgust at the brunet. She shook her head and walked over to Ayce, who was in a spare tent, and mumbled a 'good luck with that' to Shane.

If was actually rather comical to her that even in the face of danger, an apocalypse, and their sister being almost dead that Lilith could still live up to her reputation.

She wasn't there long before a noise was heard. People groaned and shook their heads, but before she could ask what the deal was, she saw it. It was bright, cherry red, and obnoxiously loud. It was a mad scramble to get the alarm on the car turned off and the silence was appreciated. The driver, an Asian boy, looked rather happy with himself. He was soon followed by a moving truck with other survivors, a blonde, two African Americans, an older looking lady with a buzz cut, a foreign man, and a cop.

Annalyn stayed in her tent with Ayce and watched the scene. The shock that came next was just that. The cop was Lori's long-lost hubby, and the kid was theirs. Which meant she had been cheating on him with Shane? Annalyn’s opinion of them wasn't all that great anymore.

Ayce shifted in her sleep and mumbled something. Annalyn leaned close to the blonde, but she was quiet. Annalyn sighed and began to walk out of the tent, but was stopped. Ayce had grabbed her.

Annalyn sat back down and leaned close, brushing at the girl's hair with her fingers. "Oh, Ayce, how are you feeling?"

Ayce kept her eyes close, but smiled at her sister. "Like I fell down a hill, lost blood, climbed back up said hill, and passed out at camp. I would love to know how you patched me up; we're low on the medical stuff." All while talking, Ayce sounded weak and hoarse. Annalyn laughed nervously and grimaced. "Well, you see… What had happened was…"

Ayce forced her eyes open and sat up quickly, regretting it immediately as the pain shot up her side. "Annalyn…" She growled at the other blonde through gritted teeth. "Where the hell are we?" Before the nervous sister could utter a word, she was interrupted.

"Well, at the moment, you're in a tent, and this is our campsite." Annalyn wasn't sure when the old guy came up, but she was glad for it. Dale had a way with words. 

Ayce narrowed her eyes at the newcomer, but kept silent, which gave Dale the impression to keep talking.

"Your sisters brought you here bloodied and passed out. You would have died if they hadn't made the right call. I did what I could for you, and let you heal. You should thank them. And until you can care for your family again, you are to rest, and stay with us."

Ayce stayed still for a moment before nodding. "But what about our things?" Annalyn covered the pale girl's hand with her own, smiling comfortingly. "We're going to get them with a team after their hunter gets back." Ayce nodded and ran a hand through her hair, grimacing at the dried blood. "Is there a place where you guys wash up?" Dale nodded in response and turned. "I'll see if Amy will lend some toiletries and show you the way."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Oh. My. God." Annalyn stared at the lake before them. It was huge and crystal blue and the most welcoming sight ever. Before she could speculate on it more, she felt fingers tap the underside of her chin. She glanced over at Ayce, who withdrew her hand. "Close your mouth, you'll swallow a fly." The comment was paired with a very amused look. Annalyn laughed and closed her mouth. She led the way to a secluded area, her sister following.

Ayce nearly died with happiness. It was a rather painful endeavor with her newly patched hole in her side, but she was determined. The water turned from blue to brown as the blood was washed away. Her hair turned back to its normal color, which pleased her very much. The dirt and grime were removed from her skin, revealing her naturally pale skin. She wished they could have stayed longer, but she didn't want to stay this vulnerable with all those strangers around. Annalyn and she dressed quickly, not wanting to get caught while indecent.

As they approached the camp, they could hear voices being raised. Upon closer inspection, it was someone they had yet to meet. Not that it meant a lot since Ayce had only just woken, but a new face none the less, and he didn't seem happy. He was going on about his brother being left on a roof and such. Ayce would have ignored him to go take a nap, but he opened his mouth again.

"And who the hell is this whore?" Ayce turned to find the redneck pointing an accusing finger at Lilith, who had made herself known to Ayce for the first time since she woke. Now, Ayce wasn't fond of the teen, but hell, that was her family.

And she saw red. She dropped the towel and shampoo she had been carrying and marched into the middle of the group. The man put his hand down, only to have the very pissed blonde in his face. She bared her teeth and fixed her gaze on him. "That whore is my sister. You would do well to mind your tongue when talking about her or any of us." She didn't shout. Ayce didn't have to. "So why don't you take your crossbow toting self to your tent."

Mr. Redneck didn't like that at all. He spat back at her, his gaze just as nasty. "I don't take orders from blonde bitches. So why don't you march yourself outta this camp. You don't belong here."

Neither spoke after that. Dale put a hand on the man's chest, pushing him back gently. Ayce felt hand grab her shoulders, not harshly, but strong enough to pull her back some. "Come on now. We can't fight among ourselves. Not when those things are after us. Daryl, this is Ayce. She's here with her sisters, Annalyn and Lilith. Ayce was hurt a bit ago, so they came and found us."

Shane, the one who held Ayce, pulled her further and turned her to face him. "We haven’t properly met. My name is Shane. I carried you to our camp when your sisters couldn’t. Now, Daryl is our hunter, Ayce. He's been with us for a while. If you two are going to be a problem, one is going to have to go. It won't be him, got it?"

Ayce glared for a second before nodding. She kept her gaze to the ground until Shane left. She felt Annalyn rub her shoulder gently. Ayce glanced up, meeting the gaze of the redneck, who was now known as Daryl. He glared, clenching his fists, as if trying hard not to be trigger happy. Ayce glared back before taking the golden blonde beside her by the wrist and walking off.

'God damn rednecks….'


	2. Chapter 2

Ayce lightly tapped her chin with her index finger, her eyes glazing over and focusing again. Her gaze met Lilith's, her question known, but unspoken. She leaned forward, allowing platinum blonde curls to fall on either side of her face. She rest her elbows on her knees, blue eyes never leaving her step sister's green ones.

"So. What did you do this time that made him call you a whore?"

Ayce was generally a patient person, but her sister's crap was getting old.

Lilith chuckled and looked out the little window their tent had, fixing her eyes on the man in question.

"I only kissed him. If it weren't for the cop, I'd have done more."

The color red seemed to be a close friend of Ayce's, for she kept seeing it so often. She wasn't sure why the brunet's comment made her blood boil. Maybe it was because she was tired of it all. The situation, her tendency to be a princess, or maybe her outright slutness. Ayce shook her head and scowled. "Why must you act like that? You're better than that."

Lilith sighed and stood, straightening her skirt as she did so. Without answering, she stalked from the tent, leaving Ayce alone with a very quiet Annalyn.

Ayce sighed again, pinching the bridge of her nose. She winced as she took a deep breath. Annalyn scooted over to where she sat, giving her a motherly look. "Lift your shirt so I can check it." Ayce complied without a fuss. She stretched out on the ground of the tent and trained her eyes on the top part of the tent while Annalyn poked and prodded at the gash. "Well, it's not getting infected, but it will leave a scar. You need to be resting. Any more of this walking around and picking fights, you're going to end up tearing it open again."

Ayce nodded and a small smile crossed her lips. "Yes mother…"

Annalyn smirked and patted the other blonde's head before standing up. "It's dinner time, but I don't want you moving. I'll bring you your plate." She tossed her last sentence over her shoulder as she walked out, running her fingers though her hair.

Whereas Ayce had large curls that were almost waves, Annalyn was stuck with plain, flat hair. Her sister's was lighter than her own gold color, but they were thankful for the difference. It was really the only way to tell them apart, they looked so much alike. And most could tell that Lilith wasn't really related to them, with her chocolate brown waves and green eyes.

Annalyn approached the fire and plopped down next to the woman with the short hair, Carol. The woman smiled at this, which Annalyn returned. She glanced around as she was handed a bowl of some sort of stew, her face twisting with confusion. "Hey, where's Lilith?" As she voiced her question, Lori walked up to their little group. "Has anyone seen Shane?"

Over in his own little world, Daryl could be heard snickering, barely able to keep his laughter in. Annalyn shot a glare in his direction before standing. "Could someone bring a bowl to Ayce? I'm going to find Lilith."

Annalyn didn't wait to hear their response. They were good people, and wouldn't let Ayce go without eating in her condition.

It wasn't for a good while before she heard rustling in the bushes behind her. She felt the adrenaline course though her, and she mentally scolded herself for going without a weapon. The thing reached her, popping out of the foliage and making her jump.

"Daryl, what the hell? Make some noise or something. What are you doing here?"

The redneck shrugged. "You went without a weapon, and besides, you probably can't track to save your life." Annalyn sighed and shook her head. "No, I really can't…"

Daryl nodded and walked in front of her, crossbow ready. He was the first to break the silence as they walked.

"So, I do wonder why you two do all of this. Not that I care, but neither of you seem to like the stepsister all that much, so why defend her? Why go looking for her when she's most likely screwing around in the bushes?"

Annalyn raised an eyebrow at his questions. "Sounds like someone does care, but smarty pants, how do you know she's our stepsister? We never said she was."

Daryl glanced back with a funny look on his face before facing forward again. "You mean to tell me that two blue-eyed blondes are blood related to a green-eyed brunet? No way. And no, I don't care. Just curious."

Annalyn rolled her eyes, but before she could consider answering him, a noise was heard of to their right. Whatever was doing it was too big to be an animal. Daryl walked with caution, Annalyn a little more careless. She rushed ahead of him blindly. She heard him yell for her to stop, but she kept going. Upon entering the clearing, she did a complete 180, yelling as she did so.

"Oh, God! Really Lilith?!"

Daryl came out of the trees, an amused expression on his face. "Well, what do you know? I was right." He lowered his crossbow and gave a side glance at Annalyn, who was facing her sister again, her expression very different from his own.

Annalyn was livid. Lilith couldn't even go through the end of the world without trying to screw someone.

Lilith was currently backed against a tree, her leg wrapped around Shane's waist and her arms around his neck. Thankfully, the only clothing that seemed to be missing was Shane's shirt. Lilith was set on the ground as Shane turned around to make up some sort of an excuse.

Before the words left his lips, Annalyn held up her hand, silencing him. She grabbed Lilith by the wrist and pulled her off towards the camp. Daryl shook his head and followed.

Ayce, to say the least, was mad. Her shouting seemed to echo throughout the hills, waking people from their sleep, and amusing the redneck.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! You think you can just walk off into the woods to screw someone?! Have you forgotten that I'm still in charge of you? You must seem to think that you are better than everyone, walking off unprotected and disobeying! You are alive now because I've set certain rules, and you think that you can break them the first chance you get! Why?"

At this point, a sort of crowd had gathered, but not in the obvious sense. No, they kept their distance.

Ayce was in the brunet's face, much like she had done Daryl. Lilith tried to keep a bored expression, but a hint of fear was under that. She shrugged her shoulders, taking to examining her nails. "It's not like you're my mother…"

Ayce narrowed her eyes and sneered. "No, I'm not. We don't have one anymore. And who's fault is that?" Lilith put her hand down and got faced Ayce with equal distain. "Your mother was the dumb fuck who married Dad."

A loud SMACK was heard through the camp, and it seemed even the crickets went silent. Ayce's hand stung, but not as much as Lilith's face. Her cheek was bright cherry red, and her eyes watered. She slowly raised a hand to gently touch the already swelling skin.

Lilith narrowed her eyes, almost not believing that Ayce actually hit her. She balled up that hand, and she swung. Ayce stepped back to evade it, but wasn't counting on her shoulder ramming into her stomach. She yelped at the pain that struck her, the wound on her side bleeding freshly. She dropped to her knees, clutching her stomach.

By then, the ones who had rushed from the group to break up the fight had reached them. Analyn had waited this argument out in the tent, but had untangled herself from blankets when she heard the smack. She now stood at the entrance of their tent, slightly shocked at Ayce, but not that shocked.

Ayce clutched her side, gasping slightly. She felt someone pick her up and lead her to the RV mumbling something about stitching her back up. Someone lead Lilith away to get looked at. Ayce shook her head, surprised by her train of thought.

She won't last much longer…

She was sat down in the RV, the person moving about, gathering supplies. Needle, thread, gauze, tape, and alcohol.

"I'm not a doctor, but Anna said that you had some training. So, you can probably take care of that yourself, right?"

Ayce looked up, the confusion written all over her face. Questions ran through her head, but only one came out.

"You call her Anna?"

Daryl laughed softly and shrugged. "Well, Annalyn is kind of a mouthful. So, yea, Ana."

Ayce felt her lips twitch, the smile trying to hide itself. She lifted her shirt, removed the bandage from earlier, and poured the alcohol on it, cleaning the blood off. She hissed at the pain, but kept at it. When the majority of the blood was gone, she plucked the broken strands from her skin and grabbed the needle and thread. She took a deep breath and began the stitching. Only a few had been ripped open, so the task didn't take long.

Ayce set the bloodied needle down and reached for the gauze. However, the object was snatched from her reach. She looked up to see Daryl. "You're still here?" He shrugged at her question and answered gruffly. "Yep." He motioned for her to move her hands out of the way as he knelt in front of her. She obliged, a strange look crossing her features. He didn't meet her gaze as he placed the gauze over the new stitching, or when he applied the tape.

He didn't say anything after that, just stood and left the RV. Ayce kept a look of indifference as she cleaned up and went back to their tent to sleep.

She woke late the next morning. Lilith and Annalyn were already up and gone, doing different things around the campsite. Well, Annalyn was. Lilith didn't like manual labor.

Ayce ran her fingers though her bedhead, attempting to get her curls under control. She glanced about the tent, finally noticing that their things were here.

'Where did they find the time to get it here…?'

She didn't think too hard on it; she was grateful that her bow was here. The backup arrows were there as well, reminding her that she broke the others. That made her grimace. The thought of going through the task of making more did not appeal to her.

She searched her bag for her brush, one of the very few things she carried that were luxuries. After taming the wild mess, she walked out of the tent.

Today, Ayce made it a point to get to know the other people. As it was, Carol turned out to be a very nice person, so she spent a lot of time with her. Ed, her husband, was a real piece of work. He was obviously an abusive person, which made her want to be around Carol even more to keep her safe. Their daughter was a bucket of sunshine, but didn't trust Ayce, that was for sure. Now, there were people that Ayce could live without, like Lori. Annalyn had said what they walked in on with her and Shane, then found out Rick was her husband. She understood Lori's intentions, but didn't agree with them. She disliked Shane simply for what he did with Lori and tried with Lilith. Andrea seemed okay, but very full of herself. Ayce was sure she was a lesbian; she tried so hard to be one of the guys. Dale was certainly the grandfather of the group. He was really amazing, and Ayce took to him instantly.

She knew she had to at least try to pull her weight around here, especially since they've taken such good care of her sisters and herself. She insisted on helping the ladies with their chores around the camp. She sat with Carol, washing clothes. The blonde was over joyed that she could wash her clothes finally. They were talking and laughing, and Ayce wondered how she could have ever thought that avoiding these people was a bad idea.

It wasn't long before Ed came over to them. He made comments to Carol, which angered Ayce and Andrea. Andrea opened her mouth to say something, but Ayce beat her to it. "Hey asshole. How about you go find something productive to do, and leave the woman alone. She's actually doing something, unlike you."

Ed didn't seem to like this. "She's MY wife, so you don't get a say, missy. Besides, what are you going to do, beat me like you did your sister?"

Ayce narrowed her eyes, and they were fine with throwing comments back and forth, but chaos ensued when he grabbed Carol and hit her. All the women jumped up, grabbing Carol and putting her behind them. Ayce punched Ed in the nose, causing blood to go everywhere. He stumbled back a bit, went to hit back, but was intercepted.

Shane had come to the rescue. He beat Ed to a bloody pulp, ignoring the women and their pleas for him to stop. Ayce wanted to knock some sense into Carol. The woman went over to Ed's side, apologizing. Ayce shook her head and walked to get her clothes.


	3. Chapter 3

Ayce tiptoed though the trees, bow at the ready. Her feet only made soft sounds as she walked. If she had been healed all the way, you would never know she was there. Her blue orbs calculated the distance between herself and the deer, a small looking doe. She needed to be closer if she wanted to hit it for certain, and she didn't have room for mistakes. The blonde risked a few more feet before aiming the bow. She drew the string back, the cams making minimal noise. The deer's head shot up a spit second before Ayce let the arrow go. The animal knew it was too late to evade the attack, but tried to all the same. What would have been a head shot ended up in its neck. She watched sadly as it died. She didn't want it to be slow or painful for it, even if it was only a few extra seconds.

Ayce attached the makeshift strap to the bow and slung it over her shoulder to join the quiver of arrows. She then pulled the arrow from the deer and stashed it away in the quiver, grabbed the deer, and slung it over her other shoulder. The campsite wasn't far, and the deer wasn't heavy, but she wanted to hurry back. You never knew when a zombie was just around the corner.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Annalyn scrubbed furiously at the dishes she held. It didn't take much to make her mad, but when she learned of what Ed did to Carol, she couldn't help but think back to her parent's relationship. So now she was doing the lunch dishes, venting her anger.

"I, uh, don’t want to alarm anyone, but we may have a bit of a problem."

Annalyn stopped scrubbing and looked behind her. Dale was amidst the group, and drawing their attention towards Jim, who was off on a hill digging. At first, Annalyn couldn't see why that was a problem, but then Dale explained. Jim wouldn't drink water even though it was insanely hot today, wouldn't take a break, and he wouldn't tell Dale why her was digging.

Annalyn put down the dishes and dried off her hands. The group had decided to go and confront Jim and try to reason with him. They all walked up together, and Shane attempted to reason with Jim again. 

“Hey, Jim. Jim, why don’t you hold up, all right? Just give me a second here, please.”

“What do you want?”

“Were all just a little concerned, that’s all.”

More talking back and forth. Jim just wouldn’t let up. Lori chose to pipe up as well.

“Jim, they aren’t gonna say it, so I will. You’re scaring people. You’re scaring my son and Carol’s daughter.”

Shane rubs his head and sighs. “Why don’t you just give me the shovel?”

"If I don't...then what?" Jim challenges him. "Then you're gonna beat my face in like Ed, aren't'cha?"

Shane wasn't given a chance to reply. Jim swung his shovel at him, but missed, giving Shane the chance to tackle the man. Jim was subdued and tied to a tree where he could cool off and gather his senses.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Ayce finally reached the campsite, and the first thing she noticed was that Lilith was out and about. Ever since their fight, the younger sister had made herself scarce and had avoided everyone like the plague. Now she was on her way to the lake with bathing materials.

Ayce shook her head and continued to her tent to drop off her weapons. After that was said and done, she went to the edge of the camp to gut and skin her deer.

About halfway through the process, Annalyn appeared by her side.

"And here you were saying that it was boring around here. The day you go hunting, something of interest goes down."

Ayce raised an eyebrow and went about skinning the deer. "What did I miss?"

Annalyn sat on the grass next to the other blonde and pointed off to where Jim was tied up still. "Ol' Jim over there went a little crazy. He started digging what looks like graves up on the hill. Scared the kids, attacked Shane. We had to tie him up…"

Ayce almost laughed. Jim was one of the people who were on her 'cool' list. The guy didn't seem like he could hurt a fly, and now she was hearing that he attacked Shane. For some reason, this was comical to her.

Ayce finished with the deer, announcing that it was ready to be cooked. As it turned out, the campfire had been upgraded with larger stones to protect a larger fire. The group had planned on a fish cookout, and Ayce was more than happy to add her deer to the mix.

Ayce was just finishing the final prep for the food when Dale approached her.

"You know, the world is a very dangerous place now. Plenty of things to go wrong. But we've come to find that there is safety in numbers."

Ayce glanced at him with an unreadable expression before going back to her work, know that he was implying something. "What is it that you're trying to say, Dale?"

A smile pulled at Dale's lips. "Nothing gets past you, does it?" He shook his head and answered her question. "You know, we could use you three. We could use another hunter, and you have medical training. Annalyn is great with everyone here, and enjoys most of the women's work."

Ayce almost laughed when he declined to say anything about Lilith, but said nothing about it. "What does everyone else say? And what about those who aren't even here to get a say?"

Dale shook his head. "Everyone agrees than you would be a great asset. And as for 'those who don't get a say'…well, they will have to get over it."

Ayce turned to face him with a small smile. "I'll think about it."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Everyone sat around the campfire now, teasing Dale about his habit with his wristwatch. He didn't really give a straight answer, only saying that it was important to keep time. Annalyn grinned at this, knowing that he was referring to Andrea keeping track of Amy's birthday. The woman was so worried about wrapping her gift, and Annalyn just had to help her. They ended up finding some pink paper and wrapping it in that.

They were having a good time chatting away when the screams hit them. A horror show had begun right in the middle of their camp. It was Amy, and a zombie had her. Everything became chaotic after that. Ed was bit, Amy was bit, and everyone was rushing around, trying to fend off the zombies, or rather, 'walkers' as everyone called them. Blood was splattered everywhere. It was one scream in particular that stopped the two siblings in their tracks.

Ayce and Annalyn looked at the same time, neither of them wanting to accept that truth before them. It was Lilith. Blood gushed down her figure from a bite on her neck. Her green eyes were as bright as ever with tears of pain streaming down her face in a flood. She stumbled forward and collapsed in the dirt, her blood pooling around her.

Annalyn finds herself unable to move, her mind barely able to notice that the group was back from Atlanta. T-Dog shot down the walker that got Lilith, but Annalyn still couldn't move.

Ayce was a different story. She saw Lilith go down, and for a split second, everything slowed around her. She didn't fully understand the saying 'Time seemed to stop' until then. She heard ringing in her ears; she didn't hear the shouting around her, didn't notice that someone already killed the walker. She wanted it to feel pain.

She looked around with wild eyes, and grabbed the first weapon she saw. She wasn't sure what it was, but it would do. The chaos had died down, but it didn't seem to faze her. Ayce raised the weapon high and brought it down on the walker's head, repeating the action over and over. She didn't stop, not even when what used to be its head was now a blood mush.

Someone wrestled the object away from her, and Ayce didn't like it one bit. The blonde tried to keep it, but it was wet with blood and slipped from her grasp. She was infuriated at this, and began to beat at the person who took it. She struck blindly at whatever she could; arms, stomach, chest, face. That was stopped too as two arms wrapped around her, halting her attack and wrapping her against their chest. Ayce tried to escape, but they held her tight.

Unable to move, she did the one thing she could do. She cried. She screamed. For the first time in since the world ended, she let herself break. Her legs gave out, sending her to the ground. Her dead weight was too much for her captor and sent them both down. The person didn't say anything, only held her as she let it all out.

Ayce wasn't sure how long she stayed like that. She didn't move for a long time, although her tears stopped a good while ago. The person shifted slightly, and spoke for the first time.

"Time to get up, Blondie…"

The voice definitely belonged to a man, and had a slight accent. A kind of…redneck-ish tone. Her eyes went wide, and she wiggled out of his grasp, looking up into the face of Daryl Dixon.

He didn't look hateful, or annoyed, just apologetic.

Ayce didn't say anything. She removed herself from his grasp, gathering that she hadn't been in his arms for hours, but only a few minutes. She looked everywhere; the carnage, Annalyn, Amy and Andrea. Everywhere but at Lilith.

She soon ran out of places to look, and brought her eyes down to the brunet.

She was face down, one arm stretched out above her head while the other was twisted behind her back.

Ayce felt the tears gather again, and she dropped back to her knees. The tears didn't fall. She reached out her hand and pulled it back, repeating this a few times before actually touching the dead girl. She gently rolled her over on her back. Ayce gasped softly and quickly dragged her fingers over the green eyes, closing them. They weren't her eyes anymore, anyway. That bright green she had seen moments ago was now pale and lifeless. They weren't her eyes.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Annalyn couldn't bring herself to go over to her family. Not when Ayce lost her cool and demolished the walker, not when she attacked Daryl, or when she finally broke down. Now that she was moving and somewhat sane, Annalyn brought herself to her feet and slowly trudged over to her older sister. She ignored Daryl, who hadn't left Ayce's side, and sat on the other side. Her hand sought out Ayce's, and together, they said goodbye to the sister who hated them, the one who claimed at every opportunity that she had no blood relation to them at all. The little sister that they had loved anyway.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

It was daytime when Ayce and Annalyn went to grab Ayce's bow. They hated it, but they had to make sure that Lilith didn't come back. Ayce was the one to do it. She grabbed one of her arrows and sat next to her fallen sibling.

“I’m sorry Lilith. I wanted to protect you. I failed you so badly. I’m so sorry…” Her voice trailed off as it began to crack. It was time anyway. The slightest wiggle in Lilith’s fingers told her as much. She took a deep breath, gripped the arrow tight, and drove it right through the brunette’s brain. Her eyelids fluttered ever so slightly, and then went still.

Everyone rounded up the bodies. The loved ones would be buried, and the walkers would burn. When it came time for Lilith to be wrapped up and carted off, neither of the remaining sisters could bring themselves to do it. In the end, Rick and Daryl took care of it.

"There's blood on your shirt."

The comment drew Annalyn’s attention to Jim and Jacqui. They were doing as everyone else was, pilling bodies and such, but the older woman was right. There was blood. He begged Jacqui not to tell, but she was too scared.

"A walker got him, a walker bit Jim."

Her announcement got the attention of those around them, including Ayce. Everyone began to circle him, but the two sisters stayed where they were. Jim attempted to fend everyone off with a shovel, but is no match for T-Dog. He grabbed Jim from behind, giving Daryl the chance to lift his shirt, exposing a bite wound. Annalyn gasped silently, her hands quickly reaching up to cover her mouth. She felt bad for him as he tried over and over again to tell them that he was okay.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"I say we put a pickaxe in his head," Daryl offered, stating the obvious. "The line's pretty clear; zero tolerance for walkers."

Rick shook his head. "No, we don't kill the living. There's gotta be another way." He paused for a second before he continued. "I heard that the CDC may have answers. If there's any place that has a solution, don't you think it would be there?"

Shane countered Ricks plan with his own. "Fort Benning is a better place. We would get protection, shelter, and food. It's military; it's safe."

Rick however, stated an obvious fact. "And what state has every other military base been in? They were overrun. Out best bet is the CDC. It's closer and Jim's best chance. In the event that we were attacked, the CDC would be protected at all costs. If there is any form of government left, it's there."

Daryl obviously wasn't hearing it. He lunged at Jim with his pick axe, but was stopped in his tracks when Rick pointed a gun at his temple. "We don't kill the living," Rick said, but Daryl snapped back. "Funny, coming from a guy who just put a gun to my head."

Annalyn and Ayce jumped in, attempting to calm the situation before it escalated. Ayce put her hand on the gun, lowering it away from Daryl's head, while Annalyn eased the axe from Daryl's hands.

Ayce glared at Rick, throwing his own words back at him. "Stop it now. Fighting among ourselves isn't going to solve anything. Not with the walkers after us."

Shane agreed with Rick “We’ll go to the CDC.”

Rick moved off to put Jim in the RV. Annalyn gave Daryl his axe back and walked off the where Andrea was with Amy. Dale was just leaving the two, and Ayce took this chance to speak to him. Daryl had long since left, having to 'kill' the other bodies. Andrea was still waiting for Amy to come back, and Carol was currently bashing her late husband's head in. After a few goes, she didn't have the energy to lift the axe again. Daryl raised an eye brow and a funny look, almost like a puppy, crossed his face. He held out his hand for the weapon. "Can I have my pick axe back now…?" His question was much like a child asking for his favorite toy back. This almost made Ayce laugh, and if it weren't for the events that just occurred, she would have.

The older blonde approached the elderly man. "The answer to your proposal is yes. We're going with you."

Dale glanced over to where Lilith had fallen, where only a blood pool was a reminder. "And, ah, what made you come to this decision?"

Ayce looked at him knowingly. "I have to protect Annalyn. I can't lose her too. You were right about the safety in numbers thing. If anything happened to me, at least I know she would still be safe."

Dale nodded his head, a small smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. "Alright then. Now, there's enough room in the RV for another person, but you two are going to have to split up for the road trips."

Ayce nodded her head. "Annalyn can take the RV. I'll fit in elsewhere."

A shot rang out, startling everyone and drawing their attention to Andrea and Amy. Andrea was in tears, and a fresh hole was in the side of Amy's head. Ayce looked on with a sad expression, but didn't say anything.

Daryl chose that moment to speak his mind, saying that he thinks they should burn all the bodies. Ayce rounded on him once again. "No. We need time to mourn our dead. Its what people do." She didn't give him a chance to reply. The infuriated blonde walked off to her tent to begin packing it up for easy departure in the morning.

They buried everyone they lost. Annalyn cried, Ayce did not. In her mind, she had to be strong. She had to keep it together for Annalyn’s sake.

Ayce felt eyes on her, almost like a burning sensation. She lifted her blue eyes from the graves to find stormy blue looking right back at her. It seemed to be that a permanent scowl was fixed on Daryl's face, for that was all he looked at her with. The time he was comforting her about Lilith was an exception.

Ayce stared a few more seconds before he looked away. Her gaze lingered before going back to the hole in the ground. Seconds afterwards, she felt that burning again.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The next morning was very heartfelt for everyone. Annalyn was happier upon knowing that they would be staying with the group. In fact, most everyone was. Shane seemed hesitant to allow the siblings in the group, but Dale talked some sense into him. Daryl was indifferent.

Morales and his family were leaving for Birmingham to be with family. As they said their goodbyes, Ayce looked on with calculating eyes.

They won't make it…

Annalyn faced Ayce with a grin. "I'll take the bag with clothes and food, so you only have to carry your bow. Who are you riding with, anyway?" Ayce grinned and shouldered her bow and quiver, glancing at Daryl's truck. "Oh… I have something planned."

Annalyn grinned and laughed at this. "Oh, good luck with that!"

Ayce hugged the younger blonde, watching her climb into the RV. She then proceeded to toss her things in the bed of the old truck and climbed into the passenger seat. She buckled the seatbelt before turning to face a very upset Daryl.

"Just what in the hell do you think you're doing?"

Ayce smirked. "I'm sitting. Don't you have something better to do than ask stupid questions? Like, oh, I don't know, starting the truck?"

He glared at her and nodded. "Yea, but who told you to hop into my ride? Bunk with someone else."

Ayce sighed and tapped the armrest. "Are we gonna get moving, or what, Cowboy?"

Daryl clenched his jaw, but gave up upon seeing the caravan pull out. He mumbled things that weren't too nice under his breath, but Ayce paid them no mind. She rested her head on the window and decided to take a nap. Her last thought was to find some better CDs somewhere, because she just wasn't down with this country stuff.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Ayce woke with a jerk, her hands coming up to fend off an attacker. Daryl sat next to her, hands raised in a defensive gesture. "Sorry," he mumbled. "Just thought you should know, were here."

Ayce nodded in thanks and opened the door, stepped out of the vehicle, and grabbed her bow. She loaded an arrow and walked with caution, surveying the area. All around, everywhere, there were dead military members. They were strewn about the pavement in a disturbing manner. Annalyn stayed with the group, not wanting to get in Ayce's way while she was on alert. The group approached the CDC building slowly, taking in the bodies everywhere and the shuttered doors.

Ayce drew in a sharp breath when the first walker made itself known. "Guys, we have walkers…" She drew back the arrow and released, cringing at the slight sting on her bare arm. She hoped to any God that she could get her arm bracers fixed soon.

Everyone began to panic. Of course, Shane was the first to say that the CDC was a bad idea. "We can still turn around and head for Fort Benning."

Andrea was the first to point out that they didn't have the gas or enough food.

Rick began to shout at the security camera. "If you don't let us in, you're killing us!"

Shane started to drag him away from the door while Rick struggled against his hold. Ayce ran up to the zombie she took down and grabbed her arrow, pulling it free in time to be engulfed by a white light.


	4. Chapter 4

"Ayce, ohmygosh, you won't believe what happened today!"

Ayce smiled at her little sister's actions as she climbed into the white Altima. She put her school things in the back seat at turned to the older blonde with a grin on her face. She paused for a dramatic affect before gushing out the news.

"Tyler asked me to homecoming!"

Ayce frowned slightly at this. "Who is he again? It he the artist?"

Annalyn shook her head and smiled wider, if that were possible. "Nope, he's the football guy."

Ayce nodded her head and grinned. "Ahhh, quarterback dude… Nice."

"So, she FINALLY got a date. Congrats, bimbo…"

The mood was soured as Lilith climbed into the back seat, tapping away at her phone.

Annalyn glowered at her. "At least I can stick to one guy at a time, Miss I-Probably-Have-A-STD."

Lilith chuckled. "Good one. Come up with that yourself?"

Ayce turned the volume to her stereo up, effectively silencing both of them. She then put the car in drive and pulled away from the high school.

Annalyn stared out the window. It was fall, still the beginning of the new year, and it was her last. She was thankful for that, but she didn't know what she was going to do about collage. She glanced behind her at Lilith, who was still texting. Lilith was a Sophomore, and already, she had screwed half of the football AND the basketball team. The blue-eyed blonde stared a few more seconds before facing forward, noticing that they were already almost home.

Ayce was 24, but still lived with them while she went to med school and had a job. Most people thought it was because of dorm prices, but the real reason lived inside.

At first, Timmy seemed like a descent guy, and wooed their mother. She had lost her first husband when Ayce was 13, and she met Timmy when she was 18. For a while, the relationship was great, and they were married by the time Ayce went to college. Then things went downhill. Timmy would drink a lot, and get angry, and would take it out on their mother. Ayce was the only one who got in his face and made him stop. 

She then moved back in the house to protect her family. Her mother wouldn't leave him, but Ayce stayed for Annalyn. It would be a cold day in hell before she let him lay a hand on Annalyn. Lilith, of course, was okay. She was daddy's little girl.

The three siblings climbed out of the car and began to move towards the front door. They halted, however, when a large black truck came crashing down the road. They froze, open-mouthed, and watched as the truck crashed into a nearby house. Flames engulfed it, and the screaming started. The driver climbed out of the exploded vehicle, its movements the opposite of someone on fire. People came out of their houses and ran to the person, each one trying to see if they could help. The burning figure rushed at the nearest woman, latched on to her, and tore a chunk of her shoulder off with its teeth.

Ayce came to her senses and grabbed the other two girls, rushing them into the house. "Come on! Get inside."

Timmy and Leah were in the living room with looks of confusion on their faces. Leah was the first to speak. "Girls, what's going on out there? We heard a crash and screaming…"

Ayce glanced at her siblings, who were still in shock, before slowly saying, "I'm not quite sure…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The group files into the lobby quickly while a man introduces himself as Doctor Edwin Jenner. He makes no small talk, just goes straight to the point.

"Why are you here, and what do you want?" Jenner asked them. "A chance," Rick said.

Ayce lowered her bow and watched the exchange, still on alert, and waited to see how this would pan out.

Jenner looked them over before turning back to Rick. “That's asking an awful lot these days," Jenner replied," But I'll let you in, so long as you take the blood test. Grab your things," he told them. "Once this door closes, it stays closed."

They all went to grab their things and followed Jenner down to the basement.

"Do doctors always walk around packin' heat?" Daryl asked.

Jenner gave a look that clearly said, 'Are you stupid?' and replied, "There were plenty left lying around. I familiarized myself. But you look harmless enough."

Carol then spoke up. "Are we underground?" Jenner glanced back and asked, "Why? Are you claustrophobic?" Carol nodded her head, which caused Jenner to smirk. "Just try not to think about it."

They stepped out of the underground hallway and into the control room. The doctor called out into the darkness, as if talking to himself. "Vi, bring up the lights in the big room," he said, and the lights came on. He turned to the group and said, "Welcome to Zone 5."

They all looked around and Ayce noticed something off. Just as she went to voice this, Rick beat her to it. "Where are all the other doctors?" Jenner kept his face expressionless as he stated that he was only one left. Lori asked about Vi, and Jenner explained that it was the CDC's computer system.

As Jenner took a blood sample from Andrea, Ayce asked him what the point is. "If we were infected, we'd all be running a fever," she scoffed, but Jenner asked her to humor him. When Andrea stands, she wobbled a bit, unsteady on her feet. Jenner seemed suspicious, but the thoughts were gone when Jacqui explained. "She hasn't eaten in days. None of us have."

A grin spread across Jenner's face, as if a brilliant idea came to him.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The group sat around a large table, a sort of feast spread out in front of them. Everyone was laughing, drinking, and having a good time. Glenn drank a lot and got drunk. He tried to stop, but Daryl pushed another bottle into his hands. "Drink up, Chinaman," he demanded. "I wanna see just how red you can get." Everyone laughed at this. Carl was given something nonalcoholic, but he begged Lori to let him try the wine.

"Come on. End of the world? Let the kind live a little," Rick insisted. Lori relented, and it was silent as Carl took a sip. His face wrinkled up in disgust. "Ewww." Lori rubbed his back with a smile.

Ayce smiled and walked over to the counter where they spread tout the bottles. She looked them over, searching for a specific one. 'We are in the South, so it's not uncommon…' Southern Comfort, Tequila, Wild Turkey… She grinned as her eyes landed on the one she wanted. 'Oh, my good friend Jack… 'She grabbed the gigantic bottle of Gentleman's Jack and spun around, running into a very solid chest.

Ayce fumbled with the bottle and looked up, finding the stormy eyes that seemed to always get under her skin. But not tonight. She was too happy to be mad at anyone. Apparently, so was he. "That," Daryl said, pointing at the object in her hands, "is my bottle."

Ayce stuck her tongue out at him in a childish manner and made it a point to check the bottle all over. "Well, that's a funny fact, because I don't see your name on it, Cowboy."

He made a grab for it, but she pulled it out of his reach, holding it behind her. She was barely aware of the fact that he had her cornered. He laughed at her attempt to keep the bottle from him. He leaned back and narrowed his eyes. "Come on now, Blondie. You're not gonna keep a man from his whisky, are ya?" Ayce raised an eyebrow and stole a glance at the counter. "I see a very nice-looking bottle of Wild Turkey."

A mischievous glint shined in Daryl's eyes, and before she knew it, he was inches from her. It was much like their first meeting, only without the hostility and hate. No, this had an air of playfulness and humor. His hands came to rest on the counter that she was backed against on either side of her waist, effectively trapping her.

"Keep this up, Blondie, and you won't like the consequences," he growled.

Now, Ayce knew the difference between a playful growl, a sexy growl, and a hostile growl, and this definitely wasn't playful or hostile. The blonde was very well aware by now that he was trapped by him. Strong arms encasing her, perfectly toned body pressed against hers. Yea, she was very much aware.

She looked him in the eye, crystal blue meeting stormy blue, and for a second, they forgot the party. The voices faded away. They were both thinking the same thing.

Those few pesky inches were separating them…

"Hey you two! Get a room! There are kids here…" Ayce jumped, once again almost dropping the bottle. Daryl sighed and leaned back. He grabbed the Wild Turkey and retreated to the table. Ayce looked over to the speaker. Annalyn had a grin, as did everyone else, but her eyes were narrowed, calculating, looking very much like the eldest in that moment. She tilted her head ever so slightly, as if asking a question. Ayce shook her head and sat down in her place, and Annalyn left it at that. Ayce knew she would bring it up later, though.

Shane had to ruin it all, though.

"When are you gonna tell us what the hell happened here?" he asked with an air of seriousness. Lori and Rick gave him disapproving looks, while everyone else seemed to slump in their seats, even Ayce. Daryl shook his head, muttering, "Way to be a buzz kill, man…" Ayce and Glenn couldn't help but agree.

Jenner sighed, but answered, looking as if he didn't wish to. "Some ran when it all began, to be with their families. "The rest," he said, "couldn't face walking out the door. They...opted out. I stayed, thinking that maybe I could do some good. That I could fix whatever was going on out there."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Here's where you will be sleeping. There's a rec room over there," he said, turning towards the children. "Just don't plug in anything and use the power. There's enough for hot water, just don't use too much."

Ayce and Annalyn shared a look and grabbed each other's hand, rushing into an available room. Annalyn tossed their things on the floor while Ayce ran at the bed. She laughed as she launched herself onto the queen-sized mattress, landing face down. She hissed a little at the pain in her side, but nothing more. She rolled over onto her back and sighed, the bed seeming like heaven after sleeping in tents and on the forest floor for over a month.

A deep chuckling reached her ears, causing her to perk her head up and look out the open door. She locked gazed with Daryl, who was leaned against the door frame across the hall. Ayce just grinned and set her head back, continuing to relish in the comfort.

Turns were taken with the showers. Once one family was done, they would get the next down the hall. While they waited, the siblings took a look around the room. A bed, a dresser, two end tables, no closet, and a small bathroom. 

A knock at the door sounded. Ayce sent one last gaze at the wall as she opened the door. When she turned, she was rewarded with an eyeful of bare chest and defined abs, followed by a black towel wrapped around a very nice waist.

Her blue eyes widened, and heat flushed her face. Somehow, Ayce managed to look at the face the body belonged to, and of course, it would be him.

Daryl cleared his throat. "The shower's open…" He raised an eyebrow at Ayce, but she could see the underlying smirk. Ayce stammered an 'okay' and quickly closed the door. She rested her back against the door, her mind at war.

'What the HELL was that about?!'

Annalyn giggled, jolting her from her thoughts. "Ayce, you might wanna clean up the puddle of drool you're standing in…"

Ayce threw her a dirty look. "It's the alcohol… It's having more of an affect than I thought it would."

“I’ll bet it is…” She said.

Ayce ran to grab her shower stuff and headed out the door, Annalyn close behind her. 

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sniff…. Sniff…

Ayce's eyes snapped open from the sudden noise. She glanced around the room, searching for any signs of danger. When she found none, she focused on where it was coming from.

Annalyn…

Ayce rolled over onto her side and pulled at the other blonde, wrapping her in her arms. "Oh, sweetie…"

Annalyn, she could tell, had been trying to be quiet, but now that Ayce was awake, she sobbed openly. "It's absolutely horrible. She gone…but all I can think…is that she won't be around to complain…anymore. That we can now look out…for each other. I'm sad about it…but not heartbroken…not like Andrea."

Ayce felt her own tears gather, but not because of the loss of Lilith. They were for Annalyn, because she was sad about not being sad enough.

Annalyn sat up suddenly, pushing the comforter off her. Clothed in only a white tank top and aqua sleep pants, she threw on a cream-colored robe they found in the dresser. "I'm going to go see how she's doing…"

Ayce opened her mouth to object, but closed in on a second though. There was a strange glint in her sister's eyes. Ayce nodded and let her go without another thought. The door shut with a soft click, and Ayce snuggled back down into the blanket.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Annalyn eased out of the bedroom quietly. Andrea was sprawled out on the bed, tear tracks staining her checks from last night. Annalyn had found her awake after leaving Ayce and the older woman allowed the blonde teen to comfort her.

She smiled as she shut the door and tiptoed down the hall. She paused in front of her door, listening to the loud snoring that came from Daryl's room. Annalyn shook her head at this knowing her sister wouldn't mind in the slightest. Usually, Ayce could sleep through anything. Last night, she seemed restless, and she woke.

She knew, though, she knew that her sister liked the rough redneck. Even if she wouldn't admit it. He harbored the same feelings, but Annalyn wasn't sure if he knew it or not. Before this was over though, she would make sure Ayce found some sort of happiness.

Annalyn snuck into the room to dress for the day. She donned a pair of acid washed blue jeans, a grey tank top, and a black dress shirt to cover it, the buttons she left undone. She then grabbed her tennis shoes and tugged them over a pair of socks, and slipped out the door to find food and Jenner. She was hoping that maybe he knew where a sewing kit was.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Ayce shifted around the bed, slowly waking up. She lay there for a while before getting dressed in a pair of black cargo jeans, a red T-shirt, and her combat boots. She grabbed the bottle of Jack that still held two thirds of the liquid and headed to the control room.

Once there, she found that everyone was already up. Rick was getting meds from Lori, Glenn was holding his head, obviously hung over, T-Dog and Annalyn had make eggs, and Daryl was eyeing Glenn smugly.

Ayce uncapped her bottle and drank about a shot's worth before passing it to Glenn. "Here, Chinaman. Before my dad died when I was little, he always said the best thing for a hangover is more alcohol. Drink up." Glenn stared at the bottle with distaste, but his only response was "I'm Korean…" and he proceeded to sip from the bottle.

"Ayce," Annalyn called. "I found a sewing kit, so I fixed your arm protectors."

Ayce grinned and gave her sister a quick hug. "You are the best. I think one more shot from that bow without them, and I would have flayed my skin…. Not pretty."

Jenner entered the room then, and the whole air turned serious as Andrea and Dale had to ask annoying questions. Ayce tuned out for the most part. She got the brunt of the conversation, but didn't really want to concern herself with details.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Daryl's loud question. "What's with the countdown?"

Jenner answered, "The basement generators, they run out of fuel." At zero, VI explained, plant-wide decontamination will occur.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Annalyn and Ayce paced in their room. Well, Ayce did the pacing. Annalyn sat on the bed. Their things were packed and ready to go, they were simply waiting on the men to get back from the basement. And to make matters worse, the air had cut off a bit ago, causing the whole underground to turn uncomfortably warm.

In that moment, the lights went out. Annalyn jumped and Ayce headed straight for the hallway to confront Jenner, who just so happened to be passing by. "Jenner, what the hell is going on?" Jenner didn't spare her a glance as he explained. "It's the building, its shutting itself down," he answered. The men then returned from the basement, but Jenner didn't stop with his explanation. "The system is designed to keep the computers running until the last possible second."

"It was the French," Jenner said." They stuck it out the longest before they too ran out of power, but the building will decontaminate in thirty minutes, and it's too late to stop it without any fuel. Rick yelled at the group to grab their things and run. As this was said, the emergency alarms began to blare. They tried to get out, but Jenner locked them into the control room.

"There's no point in struggling," Jenner stated. "Everything topside is automatically locked down. 'When that door closes, it wouldn't open again' - you heard me say that," he pointed out as Rick tried to demand he open the door.

"It's better this way," Jenner said. Rick pressed him about what happens when the clock gets to zero, and Jenner reminded them where they were. "To prevent strains of disease from getting out if the building's security was ever compromised, HITs would deploy, setting the air on fire. It would decimate the building and everything inside. Death would be instant and painless," Jenner pointed out as he tried to convince Rick to accept his fate. "There's no hope. Last night you said you knew it was just a matter of time before everybody you loved was dead," Jenner argued. He calls the Outbreak humanity's 'extinction event.' With those words, it seemed everyone lost faith.

Ayce tossed her things carelessly aside and went at Jenner. She grabbed him by his shirt collar and landed a good punch before shaking away any stars the hit may have caused. "You sorry son of a bitch!" she yelled. "Let us out of here, right fucking now! I didn't keep my sister alive this long to have her die here!" She raised her arm again, ready to land another blow, but was stopped. Someone had a hold of her arm.

Annalyn held Ayce by the elbow, a stern look on her face. "He's not worth it, Ayce. Let him go." Confusion crossed her face, but Ayce lowered her arm with a nod. She looked Jenner in the eye, but said nothing. Her look conveyed all the hate she felt for him perfectly. She gave him a shove as she let go of his collar, sending him crashing into the computers.

Daryl and Shane took to attempting to break through the door, but it was created able to withstand a rocket launcher, and here they were trying to break it down with a pickaxe and guns. Daryl was handed wielding axe, but the door stayed intact.

Shane pointed his automatic at Jenner, wanting to vent some of his frustration. Rick stepped in though, saying, "If you kill him, we'll never get out of here." He then turned to Jenner, asking why he stayed if he had no hope.

Ayce tuned out again and turned to Annalyn. She reached up and brushed the blonde hair out of the girl's eyes and held her face between her hands. She locked gazes with her and almost burst into tears on the spot. Ayce spoke lowly, as to not be overheard. "I promise you, I'm going to get us out of this. We've survived this long, and I'm not going to die here. Not when I have you to protect." Annalyn nodded and smiled even as her own tears spilt down her face.

Then, the door opened. The whole group froze for a second before rushing to grab their things and run.

Ayce slung her bow and quiver over her shoulder along with a bag, and Annalyn grabbed the last two. A hand closed around Ayce's, pulling her forward. She reached and grabbed Annalyn’s, creating a chain of three. She faced forward and was met with an eyeful of redneck. Ayce wanted to wonder about the sudden hand grabbiness, but her thoughts were mainly focused on getting to safety.

The group ran for the exit, but Jacqui stopped in her tracks. "I'm not ending up like Jim and Amy," she explained to them, and tearfully told them to leave while they could. "I'm staying too," Andrea said, sliding dejectedly to the floor.

"Andrea, no!" Dale responded, horrified. He ran to her. "This isn't what Amy would want for you!" Annalyn tore her hand from Ayce's grip, much to Ayce's displeasure, and crouched by Andrea. "You can't do this," she stated. "You have to keep trying, for Amy."

They plea with Andrea to come, but she wouldn't budge. "Amy's dead, and you need to leave," Andrea said. She couldn't look either of them in the eye, who were on the verge of tears. The others yelled at Dale to hurry, but he pushed them on without him.

Ayce grabbed Annalyn’s hand again and Daryl pulled them forward, Annalyn yelling the whole way.

"No, we have to go back! We have to get them! She can't die!"

"Annalyn shut it!"

"But we have to! What if it were Lilith?!"

"Well it's not!"

They reached the CDC lobby, and sure enough, the doors were locked. They punched on the door, but it wasn't budging. Shane shot a rifle at the glass, but it stayed unbreakable. "I think I have something that might help," Carol said, fumbling in her purse while Shane cracks, "I don't think a nail file's going to do it." Carol ignored him. "Your first morning at camp," she told Rick. "When I washed your uniform? I found this in your pocket." She pulled out a hand grenade.

Ayce felt her blood run cold. It could very well kill them all if they weren't careful. They all ran for cover as Rick pulled the pin. The glass burst, and it was a mad scramble for the cars. Annalyn ran for the RV, and Ayce followed Daryl to the truck. He shoved her in first, telling her to get down. He dove in himself, pulled the door shut, and covered her body with his own.

The CDC erupted in a fiery explosion, rocking the vehicles. Ayce felt the muscles in Daryl's body tense as he moved over her, attempting to protect her better in case the fires reached the truck. The shaking stopped, and they slowly sat up.

The first thing Ayce noticed was that Dale and Andrea made it out safely. The second was that Daryl's arms had snaked around her waist, pulling her back against his chest. He was breathing heavily, tickling the back of her neck. She opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off when he lifted her clean off the seat, over his lap, and onto the passenger.

"What the hell?"

He gave her a look as he started the truck and followed the caravan, which had begun to move again.

"You were in my seat, woman," he stated with a smirk.

Butterflies erupted in her stomach. A blush stained her cheeks, causing her to turn her head before he saw and could make fun of her.

The caravan was on the road again, leaving behind the rubble and black smoke.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The Sun beat down on them offering little comfort as the group tries to decide what to do next. It was apparent that the walkers held the city now, but it remained to be seen as to where they were headed.

Ayce leaned against Daryl's truck as Shane and Rick talked nearby, Annalyn was conversing with Dale and Andrea. T-Dog stayed close to Glenn and Lori, and Carol looked after the kids. Daryl was fixing up his bike. The decision to leave behind the truck wasn't the best in her opinion, but it was whatever.

She grabbed her bow and bag from the bed of the truck and went to stash them in the RV.

Once she emerged from the RV, she stopped, the sound of sniffling reaching her ears. Glancing around, she found Sophie sitting on the pavement by the back of the RV. Another quick look let her know that Carol was busy with the adults, who had now gathered in a big group to talk.

Ayce walked over to the girl and knelt down in front of her and reached out to place a hand on her arm.

"What's the matter, sweetie?" The little blonde looked up, revealing red eyes and tears. She held her knee and sniffed again. "I fell down…" Ayce frowned and in one swoop, picked the girl up and carried her in the RV. "Come on, we'll get that fixed up."

Ayce sat her on a little table inside and grabbed a rag, wetting it a bit and wiping the blood off Sophie's knee. The girl winced a bit, but didn't complain. As, she cleaned it with water and peroxide, Ayce tried to talk with the girl. "So how old are you?" Sophie gave a small smile and answered softly. "I'm 10." Ayce nodded at this and grinned. "I remember 10… It was the year I first rode a horse, and the year my father taught me to hunt…"

Ayce frowned briefly, memories of her dad coming back to her. She shook her head, not wanting them to distract her at the moment.

Sophie grinned, then looked sheepish, as if she wanted to ask something. Ayce laughed at this and gently placed a Band-Aid over the scrape. "What is it, sweetie?" Sophie frowned now, but asked her question. "What was your daddy like?"

Ayce blinked, surprised at the question, and the fact it was coming from a ten-year-old. She thought back, her mind going to Ed, and she instantly felt a pang of sorrow. Poor kid…Doesn't even know if that's how a dad is supposed to be…

Ayce hopped on the table next to her and stared out the open window. "Well, my real father was a good man. He could do anything and everything, and loved my mother with all his heart. He loved me and Annalyn as well, and tried to teach me everything he knew." She paused for a moment before continuing, "My step dad was a different story. He wasn't a very good man, and didn't treat my mother right." She slid off the table and looked the girl in her eyes. "Your daddy wasn't a very good man, either. But you already knew that, didn't you?" Sophie nodded, and Ayce continued. "He was never supposed to lay a hand on your momma, or you, okay? And none of it was your fault." Sophie threatened to tear up, but kept it in check and nodded. She smiled, and Ayce led the way back outside.

Sophie ran off to her mother, and everyone went to their respective vehicles. Annalyn gave her a quick hug before climbing into the RV. She followed Daryl as he walked by, jogging to walk beside him. "So, what are we doing?"

He slung his leg over his motorcycle and rested his hands on his thighs. She stayed with her feet planted on the ground, not wanting to trust the death machine he called a bike.

"Well, Dirty Mistress finally convinced Rick to go to Benning, so that's where we're headed. Now, are ya gonna ask questions all day, or are we gonna get going?" He grinned at his little nickname for Shane.

Ayce bit her lip and hesitated before climbing on behind him. The other vehicles had already left, and she placed her hand on his sides loosely. He chuckled and grabbed her hands, bringing them around his abdomen to grip his waist. "Yer gonna have to hold tighter than that, Blondie."

Ayce rolled her eyes and buried her face in his back, muttering. "Whatever, Cowboy. Let's just get going…"

Daryl laughed and brought the motorcycle to life. Ayce resisted the urge to yelp as the bike jerked forward, causing her to tighten her grip. Daryl raced over the pavement to catch up to the caravan, reaching them in less than 5 minutes.

By now, Ayce's eyes were squeezed shut and her arms were like a death grip. Not that Daryl seemed to mind. Her arms were already tinged pick from the wind, and she knew she had to invest in a thick jacket soon.

The caravan reached what seemed to Ayce to be a graveyard. Hundreds of cars and the like were all over the highway, flipped over, abandoned, or littered with corpses.

Daryl slows the bike to a crawl, slowly leading the team through the wreckage. Ayce tried not to look around and see the death everywhere, but she couldn't help it. All these people, all trying to live, never knowing that they never stood a chance. A man in the driver's side of a Chevy, a woman in the passenger side of a big black truck. Two kids, eternally locked in an embrace, each frozen in a protective position.

They were trying to save each other…

Ayce looked away as the tears welled up and rested her forehead against Daryl's back. Just as she though that it didn't get much worse than this, a sound startled her from behind. She twisted around to see that the RV had stopped and was smoking. She tapped Daryl on the shoulder. "Hey, turn around," he called to him over the bike's loud engine. "Something's up with the RV."

He nodded and obliged.

Everyone had piled out of the RV and the Cherokee to inspect what had gone wrong. "If you can't find a radiator hose here..." Shane pointed out, drawing Ayce's attention. The blond had been favoring her bow, watching the highway for walkers as everyone tried to fix their little problem. The group surveyed the potential supplies they could gather from the abandoned cars along the highway.

"We could siphon more fuel from these cars, for a start," said T-Dog. "Maybe some water?" Carol asked. Lori was quick to point out that this traffic snarl is a graveyard, as Ayce had thought earlier. "I don't know how I feel about this," she said slowly, as the group looked to one another for a sign. Silently, they agreed the supplies are most important, and Shane announced, "Gather what you can, y'all."

Ayce rolled her eyes at Lori, who frowned in return. Ayce still didn't like the woman, and it seemed Annalyn didn't either. Ayce had been told of the little love triangle she created, and it was only going to bite her in the ass later.

Ayce looked at Annalyn, ready to tell her to stay here, but it seemed she didn't need to. Her sister was content with following Andrea around like a puppy. Ayce's eyes narrowed. Something was going on there, but she wasn't sure what.

Ayce turned and moved slowly along the highway. It wouldn't be hard to find supplies, but it wasn't on her list of priorities. She had something more specific in mind.

She searched for a hot minute. Turned her mind off to do it though. So much death all around her. And it never stopped. They had only been part of the group for a few days, and already so many people were lost. And she didn’t want to think about it. Especially not about a certain brunette. 

And then she saw it.

A large truck sat off to the side, driver's door handing open. But that wasn't what drew her attention. It was the decal stickers on the back window. The lettering was toxic green, and almost slime-like. Even through the dirt and blood, she could see the decals that had been added to that, looking like bloody handprints. The words said, 'ZOMBIE KILLER'.

Ayce chuckled and shook her head. "Thank God for rednecks…" She eased her way over to the truck, peering though the open door. A body was sprawled out in the passenger seat, dried blood caking the side of it neck and matting its hair to the side of it face. Its head leaned against the window, facing away from Ayce. Its left arm was almost non-existent, and the shirt it wore had definitely seen better days.

Ayce set her bow on the pavement and hopped into the driver's seat, reaching across the body to open the door. Her intention had been to push it out of the truck, but she hadn't been counting on it turning to face her. She gasped and raised her arms to protect herself, managing to hold it off so it could bite her. The walker lunged at her, pushing her back against the seat and hovering above her. She searched frantically, trying to find anything to help her. The walker was strong for a dead person. It pushed closer, chomping its teeth together. It let out a noise that wasn't quite a growl or a scream, spraying Ayce's face with blood.

As it went to close the last few inches between them, a whizzing noise was heard, and the next thing she knew, the body collapsed on her. She took a second to catch her breath before shoving it to the floor of the truck. Ayce rolled sat up and backed out of the truck, tripping over her feet. She fell back, but instead of hitting pavement, she hit something more solid. An arm wrapped around her waist, steadying her. An arrow stuck out of the walker's head, and she knew instantly who had come to save her.

Ayce turned quickly, throwing her arms around Daryl's neck and holding him close. Her voice was shaky, but she paid it no mind. "Oh, my gosh, thank you…" He remained still for a second, not really knowing what the hell to do. He used his free hand to return her hug with a tentative pat on her back.

"Mkay, Blondie. I get it. Yer grateful. Ya can let go now…"

Ayce removed herself.

"So whatcha got here?" he said, pointing towards the vehicle.

Ayce grinned and walked over to it, pointing at the decals. "Zombie apocalypse fanatics." She boosted herself into the bed of the truck and began to search around. "There were people everywhere who were convinced it would happen someday, so they stocked up on supplies, bought weapons, and made plans. I guess these people didn't have a good enough one."

She came to a tarp that had once been silver, but was now covered with dirt. She pulled it off, and her face lit up like a kid on Christmas. "Jackpot!" Daryl gave her an odd look before climbing into the back with her.

There were black duffel bags, all with the words 'Zombie Apocalypse Response Team' printed on them in white. Daryl laughed at this before opening one. His face mirrored Ayce's. "Well damn!" He looked upon the many guns in the bag. Hand guns, automatics and a few shotguns. Ayce grabbed the one closest to her. She was greeted with canned food. There had to be at least six or seven bags in there.

Ayce glanced up, and her blood froze. A hoard of walkers was on its way.

“Ah, hell.”

Daryl pushed Ayce onto her back and covered her body with the tarp. "Stay here. I gotta warn people." Ayce nodded and closed her eyes, concentrating on breathing. The truck shook, telling her know that Daryl had left.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't quite catch her breath. The idea that she was surrounded, trapped like an animal, wouldn't allow her to. Soft moans and growls were heard all around. She didn't hear screaming, so that was a plus. The truck rocked again. Opening her eyes, she found that she was still alone. Ayce sat up, keeping the tarp against her for the most part, and looked around. She almost screamed.

If there were a single place possible for someone to lean against the truck, it was covered by a walker. They crowded around the bed of the truck, all reaching out for her. Each one disgusting in its own way. She tried not to panic, and in her clear thinking, she remembered the bounty that she had discovered not moments ago. Staying in her spot, she blindly reached over for a black back. In it, she found more food. Cursing, she tossed it aside and reached for another. In it, she found knives. It wasn't what she was looking for, but it would do.

She slowly stood, as to not fall over the side or get grabbed, and carefully angled herself to drive the blade into the closest walker's skull. With a small grunt, she pulled it free of the bone and went after the next one. Soon, she had a nice little pile and no more walkers. She sighed and wiped the gore on the tarp.

"Well that was fun…" she muttered.

A commotion over with the others caught her attention. She hopped from the bed of the truck and searched for her bow, finding it under the vehicle. Walkers must have kicked it under… She took off towards the RV, wanting to know what the deal was. What she found was a shock.

Annalyn came towards her, arms outstretched. She was covered in blood. Ayce's mind went blank.

"Ayce. Hello, snap outta it."

The eldest blonde sighed and ran to meet the girl, wrapping her in her arms.

"Oh my gosh, Annalyn. You nearly gave me a heart attack. Are you hurt? Whose blood is this?"

Annalyn smiled at her sister's antics. "A walker got in the RV. Almost got me and Andrea, but she killed it." Annalyn frowned and looked worried. "Um, also, the zombies found Sophia. Chased her down the slope. But it's okay! Rick went after her!" She almost yelled the last two statements, mainly cause Ayce looked sick at the mention of the walkers getting the little girl.

They all walked over to where Carol was frantically pacing, and Lori was trying to calm her down. Dale was tending to T-Dog while Glenn, Shane, and Daryl watched the forest. Rick emerged after a while, without Sophia. Carol collapsed on the ground, sobbing.

Ayce was the first to approach Rick. "Where the hell is she?" she growled. Rick looked apologetic and sighed, his eyes begging for forgiveness. "I did find her, but there were walkers. I told her to hide while I led them off, and to head back if I didn't come back. I went back, but she was gone…"

Ayce clenched her fist, the other occupied by the bow. Before her mind could even register that she was about to punch him, a hand closed around her arm pulling her back. She turned, expecting to meet Annalyn’s gaze, but found Daryl's. He was just as upset as she was. What confused her is how he knew she was going to attack before she did. He gave a small shake of his head, and she relented.

She turned back to Rick, not trying to hide the venom in her voice. "Okay, Great Leader, what are you gonna do about this?"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Ayce cursed under her breath as they trampled through the foliage. It was like being back in the forest again with her family, only Lilith wasn't here, Annalyn had stayed with Andrea, and they were looking for a missing girl. A lot had changed in such little time for them.

The little search party, consisting of Shane, Rick, Daryl, Glenn, and Ayce, arrived at their destination. Rick pointed to an area that was roots and weeds. "This is where I left her." Shane looked indifferent and cast glances around the area. "Yea, well, maybe she didn't understand your directions. She's a kid." Rick narrowed his eyes, as it was clear his friend was questioning him. "She understood me fine." Shane nodded his head. "We're gonna find her."

As it was Rick who led them there, it was now Daryl and Ayce's turn. They took the head of the group, tracking Sophia's trail. Daryl did most of the tracking, while Ayce helped and kept watch. Both had their bows loaded, whereas Ayce would still have to draw it back and aim, all Daryl had to do was shoot.

Rick was correct. "She was followin' yer directions just fine," he stated. "But she went the other way right here. Somethin' must have spooked her."

Shane and Glenn left to meet back up with the caravan, leaving Ayce, Rick, and Daryl to search more for the missing girl.

The three spread out a bit, trying to cover more ground. It wasn't long before Ayce's little bit of quiet was disturbed.

"So what was that back there?"

Ayce sighed and turned, recognizing the Southern drawl anywhere.

"What do you mean?"

Daryl shrugged and walked beside her. "I don't know. Ya just seemed kinda protective over the girl."

"Aren't we all?"

Silence.

She sighed and kept searching the trees, but answered his question. "She's just like Annalyn, “she said softly. "She grew up with an abusive dad, but never really had to take any of the hits because the older women took them for her. Carol took them for Sophia. Sophia wonders why daddy always hit mommy, and over time, she grew to think it was her fault. She just like Annalyn."

Daryl said nothing for a bit, his words low with an emotion Ayce couldn't place when he finally did.

"And…Who took them for Anna?"

Ayce squeezed her eyes shut and said nothing. She didn't want to tell him. Hell, she wasn't even sure why she told him that little bit. She didn't know him. She couldn't honestly say she didn't trust him, because that would be a lie. For some odd reason, she trusted the temperamental redneck.

"Got it!"

Ayce jumped and opened her eyes. Daryl had found her trail again. She breathed a sigh of relief, not sure if it was because they found it, or because she didn't have to answer him now.

They stumbled across a walker, which Ayce quickly shot with a well aimed arrow. As she cleaned the weapon, they went to gut the zombie. Rick brought out his knife and begins to cut, but is halted by Daryl, who takes out his own blade. "I got it." Rick gave him a questioning look, and Daryl smirked. "Mine's bigger." Ayce snorted, almost choking on her laugh.

She threw a condescending look over her shoulder. "Suuuure it is…" Daryl gave her a dirty look, but went back to zombie chopping.

It was an extremely gross process, but it was funny watching Rick try not to puke. And even funnier, at least to Daryl, when Ayce did hurl. 

They concluded that this walker did not eat Sophia.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Ayce ascended the slope up towards the rest of the group, many questions running through her head.

Where was the missing child? If that walker didn't get her, did a different one? Why the hell does Daryl all of a sudden give a shit? Not just about the girl, but about Ayce as well… It was a mystery to the blonde. And speaking of mysteries, why was Annalyn glued to Andrea's hip here recently?

While the other two went to talk to Carol, Ayce found her sister. Annalyn wrapped her arms around herself. "You didn't find her." It wasn't a question, more like a statement. Not accusing them, merely saying the obvious.

Ayce shook her head and hugged the other blonde, taking a deep breath. "She's a lot like you, ya know?" she whispered into her shoulder. "Blaming herself for her abusive father, but still this ball of sunshine. A ray of light in all the crap. I can't help but think 'What if it were Annalyn out there, missing?'" Ayce sniffed and blinked away unshed tears and pulled away from Annalyn. "Anna… She's all alone out there." Her voice cracked with this statement, and Annalyn pulled her back for another hug. "Shh, it's okay. I know we'll find her, and everything will be okay."

Ayce nodded, but still wasn't convinced.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Ayce groaned and stretched her stiff limbs. It hadn't been all that comfortable sleeping in the RV at the table. As it was, the tents were still packed away for when they found a better place, and Daryl didn't have his truck anymore, so her options were limited.

She grabbed her pack and snuck away to the bathroom, not wanting to wake the other people who were sleeping. She pulled out a pair of torn blue jeans and a black T-shirt and pulled them on with her boots. Ayce grinned as she pulled out her bracers. 

They were tan, and very durable, but then again, they had to be to protect her arms from the bow string. She had just about perfected the art of not getting hit with the string, but she failed half the time, and her arm had just about had it. Annalyn was right, though. She did do a good job of fixing them.

She laced them onto her arms and pulled her curly locks into a low ponytail. She grabbed the bag and stuffed her sleep clothes into it before emerging from the bathroom. It seemed that in the short time she was in there, everyone had woken and congregated outside. She traded her bag for her bow and quiver, and headed outside.

Rick passed out guns, noticeably skipping over Andrea. The stubborn woman didn't like this one bit and demanded her gun back. Everyone seemed to agree that this wasn't a good idea. Ayce almost laughed. "Hun, they don't want you to go suicidal again and blow your brains out." Andrea turned to Ayce slowly, a look of rage on her face. "Who do you think you are? What do you know?" Ayce raised an eyebrow and gripped her bow in one hand while the other settled on her hip. "I know that you're throwing a tantrum because you aren't getting what you want, and that you're still wallowing in self-pity over Amy."

Andrea froze, the words bring tears to her eyes. But it wasn't her who got in her face because of it. It was Annalyn.

"Ayclyn Jane! I cannot believe you!" she yelled. Ayce took a step back, shocked at the venom in her words and the tone of her voice. "She just lost her sister, the same as we did! You can at least show some understanding and sympathy." Ayce got over her shock quickly, regaining the lost step. "I do understand. But at least I'm not dragging everyone else down in my sorrow and getting put on Suicide Watch!"

Rick and Dale stepped between the two sisters then. Rick put a hand on her shoulder. "Ayce, we don't need to be fighting…again. Especially with family."

Ayce nodded, but the death glare never left her face. She shook her head and stalked off towards the railing where they would cross to enter the woods again and waited.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Ayce and Annalyn didn't speak during the search. Ayce stayed close to Daryl, who didn't say anything really, but knew he didn't have to. She just needed the company, and she liked his. Annalyn, unsurprisingly, stuck to Andrea.

The search was a dud. All that was found was a campsite, but the person there was already dead, and there was no sign of Sophia. As the search went on, they grew more and more disheartened. The hopes picked up, however, when the sound of church bells reached their ears.

The bells sounded, causing Ayce to jump slightly. Daryl cast an amused look, while she looked embarrassed that something like that could startle her. The group rushed forward, Daryl with his crossbow ready, Ayce with an arrow pulled back, and everyone else with guns.

The church they sound was kind of small, and had no steeple. Shane was the first to voice this. "No, it's all wrong. No steeple…"

They all headed inside anyway, killed the walkers there. Ayce suck up one side, releasing her arrow into what may have been an altar boy, but she wasn't sure.

Shane said it again, and Ayce closed her eyes, the frustration becoming too much. "Yes, Shane, we get it. Wrong church," she snapped. He looked like he wanted to say something, but it was cut off by the bells sounding again.

They ran outside, Glenn finding the automatic bell on the side of the building. He shuts it off quickly, and everyone disperses. Ayce didn't wait to see where everyone went off to. She headed around the side of the church and stepped into the woods.

She reveled in the sounds of the life around her. It was a comfort, with all the death floating everywhere.

SNAP

She turned around, drawing back he arrow as she did so. Daryl quickly leaned to the side and held up his hands in surrender. "Hey! Just me." Ayce lowered the weapon and looked back at the woods. She didn't have to see him come up beside her; she could feel his heat replace the chill of the air.

It didn't take long for him to speak. "So, what's up with ya lately?"

Ayce snorted. "What are you talking about?"

Daryl stopped staring at the forest and faced her. "Ya know what. You were a bitch earlier to Andrea- not that she didn't deserve it- and ya yelled and yer sis, and now yer snapping at Shane? Let's not forget trying to hit Rick yesterday. What's up with ya?"

Ayce grimaced and set her bow down beside her, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I don't know, Daryl. I just… I want to find this girl. I can't let her die out here." She turned to face him, her crystal eyes shining with unshed tears. "I keep hearing over and over again, 'What if it were Annalyn? What if it were Lilith?'"

Her voice cracked with emotion, and she quickly went to wipe away the tears. But he beat her to it. His calloused hand wiped away the tears that fell ever so gently, which took her by surprise. Someone like him was expected to be rough with everything they did. But he was gentle.

At that thought, she took in everything. His close proximity, then gentle hand, his understanding look, the isolation…

She shook her head and took a step back, grabbing her bow as she went. "Come on. They're probably ready to go." She left him looking confused and, if she didn't know any better, disappointed.

Everyone gathered outside. It became apparent that the light was fading, and they would have to give up then to make it back in time. Rick, however, states that he's staying. "I'm not ready to give up yet." Shane doesn't look to happy about it, but he stays with Rick. Then, shockingly, Carl wants to stay too. Lori protests, but is cut off by her son. "She's my friend," he said, and Lori agreed to let him stay.

Ayce narrowed her eyes and scoffed, something that didn't go unnoticed by Daryl. He gave her a questioning look, but she shook her head, implying that now was not the time to scold her for her foul mood.

Rick attempted to give Lori his gun, but she wouldn't hear of it. Instead, Daryl handed over one he found at the abandoned campsite. Andrea rolls her eyes, and THAT doesn't go unnoticed by Ayce. Her hand was itching to hit the woman, and by the look on Annalyn’s face, it was obvious. The younger sister glared at the huntress, making clear that now wasn't the time to go looking for a fight.

On their way back to the highway, Carol expressed her frustration that their search turned up no new leads on Sophia, and Daryl, too, didn't like that the group had been further split up.

Andrea chose that moment to attack Lori for carrying a gun when she'd been denied one for two days, and Lori handed it to her without a second thought. "You want it? I'm sick of the looks you're all givin' me."

She angrily told them to stop blaming Rick for what happened to Sophia, because no one else ran after her like he did. She told them she was tired of them mistrusting her family, and that any of them are free to leave any time they want. Feeling guilty, Andrea handed back the gun and the group continued back to the highway.

Ayce came up beside Annalyn and gave her a look.

"Ya know, if there's something you need to tell me, I'll understand." Ayce had thought long and hard about her sister's actions, and had finally come to a conclusion. All she needed was for Annalyn to say it.

The younger blonde cast a worried look at Andrea, who wasn't by her side for the first time in forever, and lowered her voice. "Ayce… I think I like her…"

Ayce nodded her head and gave her a side hug as they walked. "I know."

Annalyn’s eyes widened. "You do? Wait, does everyone? Does SHE?"

Ayce chuckled softly and shook her head. "No, I don't think she does, and I only know because I'm your family. Come on, you really think I wouldn't notice? And it's not like I think any less of you. You aren't and alien. You just happen to like something different. I like buff guys," her eyes flicked over to Daryl, who was walking in front of them, and continued. "And you like boobies. So, what?"

Annalyn blushed and smirked. "Don't think I didn't see that."

Ayce looked confused and asked, "See what?"

Annalyn wiggle her eyebrows suggestively and nodded at Daryl's retreating back. "You checkin' out the redneck."

Ayce gasped and lightly hit her sister's arm. "I was not!"

Daryl turned back to look at the siblings, the oldest having been very loud, before shaking his head and facing forward again. Ayce looked at the ground and focused on anything else, but Annalyn broke her concentration. "Uh huh…Gotcha…." Ayce kept her gaze down, ignoring her sister, and ignoring the very red blush on her face.


	6. Chapter 6

These things don't happen. They aren't accepted as reality. Cars don't just crash into houses and blow up, and burning people don't just walk around tearing chunks out of other humans.

Timmy peered out of the window blinds and sneered, the sounds of screams quickly spreading through the streets. "I'll tell ya what's goin' on. Folks are finally losin' it. Soon, the whole world is gonna go to shit. But that's okay, they can run around killin' each other for all I care. Well go stay at Luke's place til the police get everythin' sorted."

Ayce looked him over with disbelief. Annalyn piped up then, saying "Do you honestly think it's going to be that simple? If it's going to shit like you say, then even Luke couldn't help us. Besides, we don't even know what the hell is going on out there."

Timmy turned slowly and narrowed his eyes. Ayce stepped forward reflexively before he had even raised his hand. He didn't even falter, not that it mattered to him who he hit, so long as he hit something. Ayce's head snapped to the side from the force of the slap. She tasted blood, but didn't dare spit it onto the carpet. A soft, bitter chuckle escaped her as she turned to face him. She locked gazes with him while he sneered. "Don't question me girl." Somehow, she didn't think he was talking to Annalyn.

He pointed up the stairs. "Now go pack." 

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Seems like ya'll made up and stuff."

Ayce smiled to herself and glanced behind her at Annalyn, who was currently walking with Lori and Carol. She nodded and turned her gaze to meet stormy blue eyes. "Yea, we did. We can never stay mad at each other."

Daryl nudged her side and wiggled his eyebrows. "So, ya wanna let me in on the girl talk?" She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "No. You wouldn't be interested. Unless you want to hear about how hot Shane is and how Lori's butt looks big." He chuckled at the over exaggerated sarcasm in her voice and shook his head. "No, yer right. I don't wanna know."

She eyed him and gave him a nudge back. "You're just jealous that we talk about the Dirty Mistress more than you."

He scoffed at this and took on a serious face. "Am not. Dixon's don't get jealous."

They continued to joke around and such, but were halted by Lori's concerns.

"You still worrying about it?" Andrea questioned.

"That was a gunshot," Lori answered, without looking back at them. "We all heard it," Daryl answered. "Why one? Why just one gunshot?" she asked. Daryl shrugged and looked off into the woods. "Maybe they ran into a walker," he suggested. Lori snapped at him. "Please don't patronize me. You know Rick wouldn't waste a gunshot to take down one walker. Or Shane," she added. "They'd do it quietly."

Carol chimed in then. "Shouldn't they have caught up to us by now?" Daryl brandished his crossbow, stating there was nothing they could do about it. "Can't run around these woods chasing echoes."

Lori looked at him with bewilderment. "So, what do we do?" Ayce stepped in and sighed. "Same as we've been doing. Search for Sophia, and make our way back to the caravan."

Andrea nodded and smiled at Lori. "I'm sure they'll hook up with us back at the RV."

Lori seemed uncertain, but with one last glance at the trees behind them, she started walking again.

Carol didn't move, and Andrea was the one to say something first…again. "I'm sorry for what you're going through. I know how you feel."

Carol gave her a sad smile. "I suppose you do. Thank you."

Carol seems on the verge of tears as she looks away from the group. "The thought of her out here by herself… It's the not knowin' that's killin' me."

Ayce was by her side in a moment, patting her back and comforting her.

"Hey, it's okay. She'll be fine. Sophia is a strong girl. She's smart, and will find her way back to us." Carol sniffed, saying she just doesn't want her to end up like Amy. Ayce bit her lip and pulled the older woman to her, enveloping her in a tight hug.

Carol pulled away, noticing the look on Andrea's face and went to grab her hands. "Oh God. That's the worst thing I ever said." Andrea shook her head and hesitated before looking the older woman in the eye. "We're all hopin' and prayin' with you, for what it's worth."

Daryl stepped up and shook his head. "I'll tell ya what it's worth- Not a damn thing. It's a waste of time- All this hopin' and prayin'. 'Cause we're gonna locate that little girl, and she's gonna be just fine." He fixed Carol with a stern gaze, and he made it sound believable.

He stepped back and cast a glance at everyone. "Am I the only one Zen around here? Good Lord…" and sauntered off. Lori smirked behind his back, and Ayce stifled a giggle.

Ayce studied him carefully. It seemed that he was beginning to take all of this on a very personal level. She knew why it was important to herself, but why him? Another thing was that he had yet to say anything about his brother, which was odd. She knew it must be eating him inside. Unless… This search was a way to keep himself busy. A way to keep him from thinking about it and not breaking down. Maybe he thought that he could make up for his brother's disappearance by finding Sophia.

They continued on, no one really saying much. Everyone was too focused on searching for signs of Sophia and trying to get to the RV quickly. Daryl stayed up front, leading them, while Ayce kept to the side. At one point, Ayce noticed Annalyn walk with Andrea, their hands brushing, and secret glances shared between the two. Ayce grinned at her younger sister, glad that she could still find something that made her happy in all of this.

Ayce walked out a bit more, away from the group. Movement had caught her eye, and she followed. Her blue orbs narrowed to slits, the figure darting across her vision again. A squirrel…

A scream penetrated the silence like a steel knife to the stomach. Ayce whirled around to chase the sound, seeing Andrea pinned under a walker. She looked terrified, and Ayce couldn't blame her. She caught up to the group, her and Daryl running side by side, but she could tell they wouldn't get there on time. Even as all hope was lost, the sound of hooves reached her ears.

A caramel colored horse came galloping out of the trees, its rider promptly knocking the walker away with a bat. The rider, a woman with short brown hair, asks for Lori.

"Lori? Lori Grimes?"

Lori's eyes widen, and her voice shakes as she ran forward. "Yes?"

The woman puts her bat away and urgently addresses Lori. "Rick sent me. You've gotta come now." Lori's face twists into confusion. "What? She asked. "There's been an accident. Carl's been shot. He's still alive, but you've gotta come now." Lori hesitated, not sure of what to do, and slightly shocked. The woman waved to her impatiently. "Rick needs you. Just come." Lori nodded and goes to get on the horse. Daryl was quick to get in her way, disbelief etched all across his face.

"Whoa whoa whoa… We don't know this girl!" Lori ignored him as he followed after her. "You can't get on that horse." She said nothing as she got behind the brunette.

The impatient woman addressed the group now. "Rick said you had others on the highway, that big traffic snarl?" Glenn nodded to her question, dumbfounded. "Uh-huh…."

"Backtrack to Fairburn Road. Two miles down is our farm. You'll see the mailbox. The name Greene." Without another word, she urged the horse off, leaving them befuddled.

They stood still for a moment, the silence being broken by a wheezing sound. They all looked as the walker sat up, the baseball bat having only stunned it. Daryl walked by shooting it in the head, saying "Shut up." Ayce snorted, refraining from laughing outright.

They slowly started to make their way back to the caravan. Annalyn sighs as she comes up beside Ayce. "That was stupid of her," Ayce growls. Annalyn shook her head. "I agree, but if it were your child, what would you be doing?" Ayce laughed bitterly. "I would keep MY child at my side at all times. Not let him run off, getting into trouble and getting hurt."

Annalyn stayed silent. She did agree; Lori needed to watch Carl better. Even if he was with his father and the family's best friend, a good mother would insist on keeping her child with her at all times, especially in this situation.

They climbed the steep incline up to the highway, where Andrea continued to ignore a concerned Dale. Ayce took pity on him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "She'll come 'round. And if not, I'll happily knock some sense into her," she said with a wink. Dale chuckled and sighed. "I just want her to know that I'm looking out for her. That she's not alone." Ayce nodded. "I'm sure she does know, she just needs time."

Ayce patted his back as everyone gathered to talk about planning.

"I won't do it. We can't just leave," Carol said, a look of defiance crossing her face. Dale propped his arm against the open RV door. "Carol," he said. "The group is split. We're scattered and weak." Carol looked at everyone in desperation. "What if she comes back and we're not here?" No one seemed to share her optimism on the subject. She fixed her gaze on Andrea. "It could happen." Andrea nodded and turned to the rest of the group. "If Sophia found her way back, and we were gone, that would be awful."

Daryl nodded his head. "Okay, he said, glancing at the ground in thought before addressing the group. "We gotta plan for this. I say tomorrow morning is soon enough to pull up stakes. Give us a chance to make a big sign," he said, indicating with his hands about how big. "We'll leave her some supplies." Carol seemed content with this, as opposed to simply leaving.

Daryl looked at Dale. "I'll hold here tonight, stay with the RV." Dale nodded, but claimed he was staying as well. Carol looked about ready to cry. "Thank you…Thank you both." Daryl nodded to her. Andrea shook her head, claiming she was in as well. Glenn stepped forward then. "If you're all staying, then I'm—"Ayce cut him off there before Dale could.

"No, Glenn. We're going." She nodded to T-Dog. "We're gonna take the Cherokee and get him some help." Glenn gave an exasperated laugh. "Me? What is it always me?" Ayce fixed him with a glare. "It's not always you. We have enough people here, so you, Annalyn, and I are going to find this farmhouse. T-Dog will die if we don't."

Daryl walked off towards his bike as Annalyn shook her head, stepping forward. "I'm not going." Confusion crossed Ayce's face as she shook her head as well. "What do you mean? Of course you're going with us." Annalyn gave a small smile. "No, I'm staying here. It's not like you can make me. I'm over 18, not that it really matters anymore." Ayce had no response, but was saved when Daryl gave back with a huge bag of pills.

Ayce raised an eyebrow at the bag of drugs in Daryl stash. He raised his hands in a defensive manner and handed T-Dog a bottle. "Hey, they were Merle's, not mine."

Ayce frowned at this and tilted her head to the side as he tossed some bottles to Glenn and Dale before walking off.

Ayce frowned, turning back to Annalyn as the group dispersed. "So, why aren't you going? I'm not really understanding. It's sheltered; safe. Probably out in the country, it being a farmhouse, so it's secluded. What's the issue?"

Annalyn shifted her gaze to the woods and bit her lip. "I want to be here when Sophia comes back." Her eyes locked on to Ayce's, narrowed. "I thought you wanted to find her to. It seemed like you would die trying to find her."

The older sibling shuffled her feet. "I do want to, but my priority is you and your safety. You're right. I can't make you go, but I can make sure it's a safe place for you. So that's what I'm gonna do."

Annalyn grinned and wrapped her arms around Ayce's middle. "I know you're trying your hardest, but you don't have to do it alone. These people are probably the best thing that has happened to us yet. They will help you in keeping me safe." She drew back and continued to smile. "And they will help me to keep you safe."

Ayce nodded and patted her sister's head. "Alright, Goldilocks. You be safe while I'm gone." Annalyn frowned and swatted her hand away. "That's not fair. Goldilocks had curls. You're the one with the curls." Ayce grimaced, saying "I will flay you if you call me that." Annalyn snorted and walked off towards the RV. "I can't. Your hair is way too white." She disappeared into the RV.

"So, you're going with them, ya?"

Ayce turned, grimacing slightly. "Yeah. T-Dog needs help, and if Glenn goes alone, he might have an aneurysm. Just, do me a favor?" Daryl nodded, indicating for her to go on. "Keep an eye on my sister. I know she would be safe and not wander off, but she doesn't exactly know how to fight these things. She's good with a knife, but it may not be enough."

Daryl nodded, glancing at the RV. "Sure thing, Blondie. I'll keep a watch on her."

"Ayce, we're leaving."

The blonde jumped, startled from Glenn popping out of nowhere. "Alright, I'm coming." She hoisted her bow on her back and left, casting a 'See ya' over her shoulder as she climbed into the back of the Cherokee.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0

The ride there was fairly boring for the three of them. Ayce discovered that Glenn delivered pizza in Atlanta before all this went down. In turn, Ayce told him of her being in collage for medicine and such. He found that rather nice, as it was always good to have a doctor in these situations. But Ayce was a far cry from a proper surgeon…

By the time they found the place, it was dark, on account of Glenn missing their turn. They parked the car a few yards from the house and took their time heading up the stairs. The atmosphere of the place seemed nice enough in Ayce's opinion. Nevertheless, they took small steps as they made their way to the door.

They stopped at the steps as Glenn turned to T-Dog, who was looking worse by the minute, and Ayce, who was genuinely worried for their friend. "So…Do we ring the bell? I mean, it looks like people live here…"

T-Dog gave him a 'Are you kidding me?' look. "We're past this kind of stuff, aren't we? Having to be considerate…" he said as he made his way up the bricked steps, Ayce following behind him closely.

Ayce spotted the woman in the chair, but judging by the way Glenn and T-Dog jumped when she spoke, they didn't. "Did you close the gate up the rode when you drove in?"

Glenn got the dumbfounded look on his face again, and all he could utter was "Uhh…hi." It took him a moment, but he finally answered her. "Yes, we closed it. Did the latch and everything." She leaned forward to look at them better, while Glenn seemed to get his bearings back together a bit. "Hello. Nice to see you again." She said nothing, which seemed to throw him again. "We, uhh, met before. Briefly."

T-Dog seemed to grow tired of listening to the flustered Asian, and interjected. "Look, we came here to help. There anything we can do?"

The woman stood and walked over to them, examining the gash on his arm. He seemed to read her mind as he confirmed that it wasn't a walker bite. "I cut myself pretty bad, though." She looked openly relived as she walked past them, giving Ayce a once over. "We'll have it looked at. I'll tell them that you're here."

Ayce stepped forward from where she had been leaning against the railing. "We have painkillers and antibiotics." Glenn scrambled for the drugs as she said this. "We already gave him some," she said, nodding to T-Dog. "If Carl needs any…"

The woman nodded. "Come on inside. I'll make you something to eat," she said as she opened the door for them to enter the house.

The house was everything Ayce expected from a farm house in the South. From its cream-colored walls, to its floral decor. The woman led them to a room where an elderly lady sat. Going farther into the room, Ayce found Lori, Rick, and an older man. Carl lied on the bed.

Ayce gave out a small gasp as her hand rose to cover her mouth. She may not like Lori all that much, and Carl was annoying, but she didn't wish this on them.

Rick was the only one to speak, and even he seemed forced, only saying "Hey."

Glenn nodded. "Um, we're here, okay?" Ayce rolled her eyes. 'As if they couldn't already see that, genius…'

But really, what do you say in these situations?

Lori nodded as Rick placed his hands over his face. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Whatever you need…" T-Dog responded. They said nothing else, so the brunette ushered them out of the room. Ayce linger for a moment, locking eyes with Lori. She didn't say anything, but she knew she got her message across.

I'm here if you need anything…

Lori gave a small nod of thanks to her.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The woman's name turned out to be Maggie. Very fitting for a country girl, in Ayce's opinion.

They now stood by as a blonde woman tended to T-Dog. "You got here right on time," she said as she made the stitches. "This couldn't go untreated much longer."

T-Dog grunted in pain and clenched his hand around Ayce's, who had offered it to him before the woman had started. She was sure it would be bruised later. With her free hand, she stroked his arm comfortingly, letting him know that it was almost finished.

The older woman read the prescription bottles and continued to stitch. "Merle Dixon. It that your friend with the antibiotics?"

Glenn shook his head. "No, ma'am. Merle's no longer with us. Daryl gave us those-His brother."

T-Dog snorted. "Not sure I'd call him a friend…"

"He is today," she stated, pulled the needle high to make another stitch. "This Doxycycline might have just saved your life." She glanced up at Ayce for a moment. "You know what Merle was taking it for?"

Ayce shook her head. "I never got the chance to meet him."

Glenn, however, gave a small laugh. "The clap." Maggie gave him a look, and he began to stutter. "Or, at least… That's what Daryl said…"

The blonde didn't laugh. "I'd say Merle Dixon's clap was the best thing to ever happen to you." T-Dog grimaced. "I'm really trying not to think about that." Ayce had to bite her tongue to not laugh. Glenn left the room quickly.

Once T-Dog was finished, Maggie left to find Glenn, and the other woman went to find something else to do. Ayce stretched her fingers out and rubbed her hand. Definitely going to bruise. He gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry 'bout that…" Ayce shook her head. "No, it's fine. I've had way worse." He gave a nod, but said nothing.

The sound of a vehicle reached Ayce's ears. She jumped and rushed to the front door, followed closely by everyone else. Shane was back. "Carl?" he asked, breathless. Rick nodded, taking a bag from him. "There's still time."

Hershel looked around before meeting Shane's gaze. "Otis?" Shane shook his head. "No…" Hershel and Maggie both looked like they wanted to cry and be mad at the same time. He looked around a bit, not knowing what to do or say. Finally, he came to some conclusion. "We say nothing to Patricia…Not till after. I need her." He stormed into the house

Sympathy gripped Ayce's heart. That sweet woman, who had helped them, lost a loved one…

Shane searched for the right words, but couldn't find them. Rick didn't give him a chance as he hugged him. Ayce studied him a moment. Shane opened his eyes and found hers. Guilt glimmered there.

'He killed him….'

He looked away from her to Lori, who was too clouded with worry to see his shiftiness.

"They kept blocking us at every turn," he said to them. He was covering his tracks now… "We had nothing left. Down to 10 rounds. Then he said-he said he'd cover me. And that I should keep going. And I…I kept going. But I-"He took a moment, and Ayce almost believed his words. "I looked back, and he-I tried." Lori and Ayce both put a comforting hand on Maggie, but while Lori was grief stricken, Ayce's eye narrowed. He was lying.

Rick placed a hand on his shoulder. "He wanted to make it right." Shane said nothing; He simply kept up his ruse as he shifted his feet. Maggie began to cry, drawing Shane's attention. He met Ayce's eyes again, and once again, her mental message got across.

'You can't fool me'

Shane still his movement, and she could see the worry in his eyes.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Rick and Lori sat on the steps, Shane leaned against the truck, T-Dog in the rocking chair, and Ayce sat on the porch leaned against the railing, facing him. No one spoke.

Hershel and Patricia came out side, causing everyone to jump from their spots and gather. The snowy haired man grinned. "He seems to have stabilized."

Ayce didn't hear the rest of his words. Her gaze lowered to the floor before lifting over to Shane.

'Otis died. But Carl lived. So…does that make him a hero? Or a murderer? Should I hate him, and out his secret? Or let him live with the guilt?'

All of these questions ran through her mind at once.

Everyone went inside to either go see Carl or tell Patricia. Shane was the last to head in. Before he could even touch the door, Ayce reached out and grabbed his arm. She studied the ground as she felt his arm muscles tense. She hesitated, thinking about what to say. Her eyes lifted to his, and she gave a small smile.

"You are….very lucky." Her eyes narrowed for a split second. He jerked his arm away from her and said nothing, quickly going into the house. Ayce stayed where she was. Whoever Otis was, he didn't deserve whatever had happened.

She told herself then that she didn't have to worry about outing him.

'It'll catch up to him…'


	7. Chapter 7

Sleep did not visit any of the people at the farm. Patricia was too stricken with grief, and everyone else was worried about Carl. Ayce also was concerned with her sister's safety. She swore to shoot Andrea and Daryl if her sister turned up harmed.

Ayce stayed up through the night, sitting on the porch. She opted to stay on the floor, leaning against the house. It gave her plenty of time to go through her memories.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Ayce and Annalyn stood facing each other, Annalyn pressing a cold washcloth to her sister's face. A dark bruise had already formed on her cheek.

Annalyn sniffed, holding back her tears. "Why? Why do you always step in the way? I'm not some weak priss. I can take a hit." Ayce shook her head and waved away the cloth. "I know that. But you shouldn't have to deal with his temper. Not like that. Besides," she said, placing her palm on her sister's cheek. "I'm the older sibling. I'm supposed to protect you."

Annalyn nodded her head and wrapped her arms around Ayce's neck. After a few moments, Ayce moved away and began to throw clothes into a bag. "Pack something. I don't know what's going on out there, but we need to hurry up."

Annalyn grabbed a bag from the closet and began tossing her own stuff in it. Once done, they bounded down the stairs. Timmy stood in the middle of the living room with their mother and youngest sibling. "Took ya long enough," he sneered.

Glass shattered before Ayce could reply. Figures covered in wounds and blood poured in through the broken window. Everyone yelled and screamed. The sound of tearing flesh filled the room as one of them grabbed their mom. Annalyn reached for her, but was held back by Ayce.

"No! We can't do anything! Run!"

Lilith pushed past the both of them, making a beeline for the back door. Ayce and Annalyn followed behind her, while Timmy brought up the rear. The four of them left the house all pausing to glance back once more. All but Ayce.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Ayce gave a heavy sigh as she hefted the stone into wheelbarrows, doing as everyone else. Morning had come, giving them an opportunity to prepare for the rest of the caravan and Otis's funeral.

As it was, Ayce wasn't happy about it. She snuck a glance at Shane, who seemed miles away. She frowned, her rage boiling just below the surface. He had no shame, she knew.

He's lying. I know it!

Sounds of vehicles filled the empty air, and everyone turned their gaze to the road. Daryl led them on his motorcycle, followed by Andrea, and Dale's RV bringing up the back. A wide grin crossed Ayce's face as she watched them pull into the yard and in front of the house.

The RV door popped open, and out came a flurry of blonde hair and pale skin. It was a blur as it raced to Ayce, crashing into her.

"Anna! Oh, you're okay… You're okay, right?"

Ayce pulled her sister away to inspect her for injuries. The smaller blonde laughed a bit and waved her hands away. "Ayce, I'm fine. Nothing all that exciting happened."

Ayce breathed a sigh of relief and laughed. "That's good. That's really good."

Annalyn nodded. "Yea. Daryl took your words to heart. Wouldn't let me go exploring with him and Andrea…" Ayce didn't miss the edge in her voice.

She's jealous…

Ayce grinned at this. That's cute.

She looked over to where said redneck was watching them closely. Thank you, she mouthed. He replied with a nod.

The others emerged from the house and approached Dale. "How is he?" Dale asked.

Lori nodded her head, glancing at the ground. "He'll pull through," she said, a grin gracing her face. The woman's relief was obvious. "Thanks to Hershel and his people."

"And Shane," Rick voiced. Ayce's eyes narrowed at the mention of his name. The thoughts Traitor and Murderer ran through her head.

"We'd have lost Carl if not for him."

The two embraced, as did Lori and Carol. "How'd it happen?" Dale questioned. Rick almost laughed. "Hunting accident. That's all- Just a stupid accident." Shane looked uncomfortable.

Everyone went about gathering more rocks and such. Ayce stayed as close to Annalyn as possible. Being away from her for the night didn't sit well with Ayce, so she was determined not to leave her side for long. Her sense to protect her was going into overdrive. Annalyn knew this, and said nothing of it. The younger sibling knew that because they had lost Lilith, Ayce would try even harder to keep her safe.

Annalyn eyed her sister as she hefted rocks into the wheelbarrow. She had not yet talked about it. Not since the night at the CDC. It had only been a couple of days, and already, she acted like it hadn't happened. It made her worry. Ayce was strong, but it would eventually hit her like a ton of bricks. And when it did, the time may be oh so wrong, and end up putting them in trouble.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

They all gathered around the memorial pile. They had stacked the rocks up to serve as a marker for Otis. All that was left was for people to add a rock and say some nice things.

Hershel did his biblical thing, which Ayce zoned out for. Not that she was disrespectful, she just wasn't religious. Then Shane stepped forward to tell his story.

Ayce tried to listen, she really did. Her own story came flashing to her, though, blocking out everything around her.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The four of them ran as fast as they could. Ayce kept close to Annalyn as Lilith led them on. It was obvious what was going on. She had seen enough movies to know.

"Head for Luke's place. We'll be safe there." Her stepfather's words cut through her concentration. Oh, you idiot. But then again, he has guns…. Among other weapons… 

Ayce nodded her head and grabbed Annalyn’s hand, dragging her forward. Various screams echoed around them, people running in the streets, acting like fools.

Joe's house loomed before them, the front door splintered and wide open. Ayce's heart thundered in her chest as they slowed down, coming up on the porch. Timmy burst past them and stumbled straight into the house, calling for his brother.

Ayce slowly made her way in, keeping Annalyn close behind her. Shattered glass lied on the floor. A broken lamp in pieces in front of the fireplace. I liked that lamp…

Timmy looked around and sighed. "They aren't here…"

A strangled growl came from the kitchen. The blood froze in Ayce's veins as she turned her head towards the doorway. A choking gasp came from Timmy as they laid eyes on what was left of Uncle Luke. Blood poured from various wounds on his neck and stomach. An arm was missing, which Ayce could now see was still in the kitchen, and was being devoured by his wife.

Ayce backed away, pulling Annalyn with her, her eyes searching for any sort of weapon. Another growl came from Uncle Joe. Her searching became frantic. As Joe lurched forward to grab at Timmy, her eyes fell on the fireplace. Pokers…

She lunged for the iron bar, feeling her fingers wrap around the handle as Luke grabbed Timmy by the neck. She raised it above her head with both hands and brought it down. Even after had fallen to the ground, Ayce didn't stop. Time after time, she felt his skull crack in a different spot. Timmy wrestled the poker from her and shoved her to the side. Lynda had come out to see what the commotion was about. She didn't last long.

Timmy nodded his head, looking around the living room. "Alright. Let's go to the police. They would tell us what the hell is going on."

Ayce looked at him with appall. "Are you really that stupid? You know what's going on. We can't go to the government. It won't be there."

Timmy got bright red in the face. "You dare question me, girl? I'm the adult here, and what I say goes. We're going to the police!"

Ayce's face twisted with furry as she opened her mouth to yell at him. She stopped a second later. It was like a light came on. Her face calmed and was passive. "Alright. You're right. Let's get Joe's things first, though. The police could probably use them." She turned to her siblings. "Go wait on the porch for us."

The two nodded their heads and walked out as Ayce and Timmy made their way through the kitchen and downstairs to the basement. Various guns were mounted on the wall, as well as knives and other weapons. Canned and dried food sat on shelves. He really did make this place a bunker…

"I'll get the guns," she said. He nodded and went about stuffing food in a bag. Ayce wasted no time in loading a 9mm. Now, she was smart. She waited until he had packed the bag full and she had gotten the knives and had even selected a nice bow. As they grabbed their individual bags, she grabbed the gun. He turned to the steps. Ayce took the safety off and cocked the gun. He froze at the sound of the click.

As he turned to face her, she placed her finger on the trigger. "You can't keep them safe. You make horrible decisions and will end up getting them killed. We can't go to the police."

He tried to look unafraid, but Ayce could see that he was terrified. "You can't kill me, Ayce. I'm family."

Ayce shook her head. "No. You're the man that would hit my mother and me. You are the man that made my life, and Annalyn’s life, a living hell these past few years. And it ends now." Her eyes went cold, and he knew it.

"Wait. Ayce. Don't do anything stupid. Be reason-"

His words were cut off as the bullet went through his head.

Ayce wasted no time in stuffing the gun in the waistline of her jeans on her hip and running forward. She tossed his bag over her shoulder, somehow heaving it along with the bow, the arrows, and other weapons. As raced up the stairs and ran into the kitchen, meeting Annalyn and Lilith halfway.

"Where's Dad?!" Lilith shouted. Ayce didn't answer as she shoved them both for the door. "Go! To the woods!"

"No! Where's my dad?!"

Ayce gave her another shove towards the back yard. "Move!" was her only answer.

The world around them broke out into chaos as they broke through the tree line. They would stay in those woods for the next month.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A hand came down on her shoulder, breaking her from her thoughts. She jumped and looked to her right, meeting Annalyn’s worried eyes. "What?" she asked. Annalyn tilted her head to the side. "Are you okay?" she asked. Ayce nodded her head. "Yea, I'm good. Just thinking. Remembering."

Annalyn gave her a strange look and walked away, saying something about helping Beth. Ayce stared after her. Even now, Annalyn was under the impression that Timmy was attacked by a zombie in the bunker.

Ayce walked towards the group that had gathered around a vehicle. Hershel, Rick, Andrea, Shane, and Daryl were trying to look for Sophia more. She came up beside Hershel as Maggie came up with a map.

"County survey map," she said as she spread it out on the hood. "Shows terrain and elevations." Rick grinned and his finger tip pressed on the map. "This is perfect," said Shane. "We can finally get this thing organized."

Rick stared at the map, then looked around at the people there. "We'll grid the whole area, start searching in teams."

Hershel shook his head. "Not you. Not today. You gave three units of blood. You wouldn't be hiking five minutes in this heat before passing out." He turned his attention to Shane. "And your ankle- Push it now, you'll be laid up a month and no good to anybody."

Daryl leaned forward to study the map. "Guess it's just me. I'm gonna head back to the creek, work my way from there."

Shane frowned. "I can still be useful. I'll drive up to the interstate, see if she wandered back there."

Ayce frowned and place her hand on the map, drawing their eyes to her. "I may be a woman, but I can guarantee you, I'm as good as any guy. I can help." She pointed to the creek. "If Daryl works this side of it, it can go to the other. Get more ground covered."

Daryl frowned and shook his head. "No way in hell."

Ayce narrowed her eyes and placed a hand on her hip. "And why not? I don't remember asking for your permission."

He glared at her and pointed off in Annalyn’s direction. "That's why. She needs ya. She needs ya not ta get killed or lost or worse."

Ayce opened her mouth to retort, but was cut off by Rick. "Alright, that's enough. Daryl, we need all the help we can get. If she wants to help, I can't say no."

Daryl said nothing.

Rick nodded. "Alright," he said. "Tomorrow then. We'll start doing this right."

"That means we can't have our people walking around with just knives," said Shane. "They need the gun training that we've been promising."

Hershel didn't like this, it seemed. "I'd prefer you didn't carry guns on my property. We've managed so far without turning this place into an armed camp."

"All due respect, you get a crowd of those things wandering around here…"

Rick shook his head, cutting off Shane. "Look, we're guests here. This is your property, and we will respect that," he said, looking Shane in the eye as he took out his pistol. Shane waited a moment before grudgingly placing his down as well.

"First things first. "Make camp, find Sophia."

"I hate to be the one to ask, but somebody has to. What happens if we find her and she's bit? I think we should all be clear on how we handle that."

Rick eyes Shane. "You do what has to be done."

Maggie, whom Ayce had forgotten entirely, spoke up, looking appalled. "And her mother? What do you tell her?"

Andrea answered. "The truth."

Shane grabbed the pistols. "I'll gather and secure all the weapons." Ayce glanced up from the map that she had been studying, not missing the small shake of Hershel's head. Her eyes narrowed. There were too many secrets here…

"I'll make sure no one's carrying till we're at a practice range off site. I do request one rifleman on lookout. Dale's got experience." Hershel didn't speak. Rick noticed his discomfort with the idea. "It would make our people feel safer, less inclined to carry a gun." Hershel nodded as Ayce walked away from the car.

She didn't make it but a few yards. A rough hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "What the hell do ya think yer doin'?" Ayce grimaced, knowing this conversation was unavoidable. "I want to help, Daryl. I want to find this little girl. I want to get her safe, and back to her mother."

He shook his head. "I can do that. Ya should worry more 'bout yer own family. That girl," he said pointing again at Annalyn. "She wouldn't make it without ya. She needs ya. I can do this on my own."

Ayce stared at the ground for the longest time. She stepped forward, standing toe to toe and meeting his eyes, almost like a challenge. "I'm going. You can't stop me. That's final." She stood there for a moment longer, letting her words sink in, letting his hear the underlying challenge.

She knew she had won when stepped back and stormed off.

0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0

"So, you're telling me that you're gonna go traipsing off into the woods to look for that little girl? You do realize how dangerous that is?" Ayce sighed and shuffled her feet impatiently. "Yes, I do. Look, Annalyn, I'm not asking for your say-so. I'm telling you. Don't worry about me."

The blonde was quiet for a moment. She nodded her head. "Okay," she said, pulling her into a hug. "Just be careful."

Ayce nodded and took off. She spotted Daryl off in the distance, walking away from Rick. She approached the former sheriff. "Hey, I'm gonna head out."

He nodded his head and met her eyes. "I was just sayin' this to Daryl. Ya'll don't have to do this anymore." Ayce smiled softly and patted her shoulder. "Yes, Rick. I do have to. I need to find her. I need to save-"she halted her words and steeled herself. "I just need to find her."

He gave her a sympathetic look. "Look, if this is about Lilith-"

"No, stop right there. Lilith has nothing to do with this. She dead, gone. Sophia isn't. I can still save her."

She stalked off towards the woods, watching as Daryl disappeared into the trees.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Ayce leaned against a nearby tree, pausing to rest and listen to the things around her. The animals rustled about and clamored around. This told her that she was relatively alone. They tended to go silent when the walkers were around.

When the tree began to dig into her back, Ayce decided it was time to get moving again. She moved through the foliage, brushing past leaves and limbs. Something white flashed ahead of her. Upon getting closer, she found a house in a clearing. She kept her fingers on the end of her arrow, ready to draw back and fire at a moment's notice.

The house itself looked as if no one had been around for quite some time. Like they had left when all of this began. Ayce kicked in the door as to not remove her hand from the arrow. A quick look around told her it was empty.

A quick walk-through told her two things. Sophia had been here, and she had was alive. She hadn't been there for a while, but it was something. Ayce came to a set of stairs and slowly made her way up them.

Three rooms. First bedroom was the master, belonging to the parents. They seemed to be the organized type, with neat drawers and a made bed. Cream colored walls with tan carpeting. Off-white bed set. Very simple.

The next room belonged to a daughter, a teenager if the pictures of actors and boys were any indication. CDs cluttered a shelf, mostly pop and dance music. Books on another shelf, mostly teen romance that had to do with vampires and werewolves and a few mysteries. The walls were green, while the carpet and bedspread were teal. The bed wasn't made.

The last room knocked the breath out of Ayce. It was a nursery. Light pink walls and white curtains greeted her. A white wooden crib sat in a corner with a throw rug on the opposite side of the room. Toys sat around the area collecting dust. Baby books sat neatly on a small white shelf on the wall. Butterfly decals decorated the walls.

Ayce closed the door and pressed her back against the wall in the hall. She tried hard to hold back the tears, but one slipped past. Then another. Next thing she knew, they wouldn't stop.

Her bow lay forgotten at her side as she placed a hand over her mouth and closed her eyes. These people were a family. They were a couple. They had two daughters. And their lives were uprooted by this horrible thing. They were probably dead now. All of them.

Ayce took in a deep breath and calmed herself. A noise came from downstairs, halting her movements. She stared down the hallway and rose to her feet, keeping her back against the wall and grabbing her bow. Her footsteps were light as she made her way down the stairs and into the living room. Whatever it was, it was rummaging around the kitchen. Ayce steeled herself and pulled the arrow back as she pressed her back against the wall next to the doorway. She turned quickly, pointing the arrow at the figure. She came face to face with a crossbow. Neither person spoke for a long while as they both caught their breath.

Ayce broke the silence. "What the hell are you doing? This is my area." She lowered the bow and carefully released the tension in the string.

Daryl lowered his weapon and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "I don't think so. This is my side of the water. Didn't ya check the map?"

Ayce sighed and placed a hand on her hip, her eyes drifting to the fridge. "No. I didn't. Rick kinda distracted me, and I took off without asking." Pictures and such cluttered the metal of the fridge. Birthday pictures, a baby in a walker, wedding photos, a prom picture. They all looked happy.

Daryl looked off towards the pantry. "She was here at some point." Ayce sighed and leaned against the door frame. "Yea… Probably hasn't been here for a while though. Not today, anyway."

They were silent for a while. After a few minutes, Ayce chanced looking away from the spot on the floor she had been scrutinizing. Daryl's own eyes were fixed on her. She absentmindedly thought that the color reminded her of a storm. Blue like the water, yet grey like the clouds.

"What?" she asked.

"Ya okay?"

Ayce was confused for a moment, but even as she remembered that she had been crying just minutes ago, she denied feeling bad. "Yea, I'm good."

He raised a brow, but remained silent.

Ayce stepped away from the door frame and headed for the door. "She isn't here. I'm gonna look around outside and maybe head back. It's getting late."

Daryl stayed quite as she left.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Night came quickly back at the farm. Ayce decided during dinner that while she was searching for Sophia, she would hunt was well to help everything stretch. Now that they had eaten and gotten camp set up, she and Annalyn sat close by the fire. Her keen eyes didn't let her miss Lori sneaking off.

"I'll be right back," she told Annalyn. She younger simply nodded her head.

As she darted though the dark, she wondered what in the world this woman was up to. She knew it wasn't her business what she did, and for all she knew, she was going to meet Shane. But Ayce knew for a fact that both Shane and Rick were in the house. 

She caught up to the brunette and took her arm. "Where are you going? It's dangerous out here."

Lori looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "I-I was just checking-um, going to the…the bathroom?"

Ayce raised an eyebrow and almost smiled. "The bathroom's that way," she said, pointing to the house.

Lori fumbled with an object in her hand. A questioning look made her hand it over. Ayce eyes went wide as she looked back at Lori. "Please don't say anything."

Ayce shook her head.

"Thank you."

"Um…I'll keep watch for you…If you want." A moment of silence. "Sure."

They walked off into the dark for more privacy. Silence followed as Ayce kept an eye on the camp and Lori did her thing. "30 seconds…" came a whisper. Ayce nodded, even though the woman couldn't see her. She waited those agonizing seconds.

A muffled sob came from behind her and dread filled Ayce's stomach. "Lori?" No answer, just more sobs. Ayce came around to where she sat and took the pregnancy test from her, examining the little stick. A plus sign. Ayce gasped and met Lori's gaze.

She looked so desperate and hopeless. Ayce's heart broke for her. She gathered the older woman in her arms and let her cry it out. The only thing Ayce could think at the moment was the obvious.

Lori was pregnant.


End file.
